Question for y'all - how is the qual of comp between USHL and Liiga? I feel like i value Kakko's skills more than what i've seen from hughes, especially so bc he's playing with big men. also bc of size. and his stickwork in tight spaces
i'll admit that i'm charmed by the flashiness and skill of kakko, but what's the appeal of hughes? just his very solid play?
USHL is below the Finnish men's league. But it is also important to keep in mind that Hughes is on the US-NTDP, which not only plays against players their own age but also against NCAA teams. Hughes is no stranger to playing against men, and he has impressed at every turn.
What Kakko has done in Finland is even more impressive, to be certain. He has broken every scoring record for draft-eligible prospects. He has been absolutely phenomenal.
It is difficult to compare Hughes and Kakko because they are such different players, so let's start with the similarities. They are both magical puck-handlers and distributors. Either player can stickhandle a can of tuna through a shark tank. Both of them are also off-the-charts in terms of vision and hockey sense. They both play with an ideal compete level. They both have excellent shooting ability, though Kakko is of the shoot-first mentality and Hughes' favorite past-time is to set up his line mates for an easy tap-in, which he is almost prodigally gifted at doing. They are both not just NHL-ready, but ready to make an immediate impact for any team who drafts them in 2019-20.
Now the differences. Obviously, Hughes is a center and Kakko is a winger. There are many who believe that Kakko can play center at the NHL level, but with so little experience at the position it remains to be seen whether an NHL coach would play him there for the next couple of seasons. Kakko is a left-shot who can play either wing with acuity, while Hughes is a left shot who sometimes mans the right circle or the point as a power play quarterback.
Kakko is much bigger. Though he does not initiate physicality, he is a very strong kid who can be impressive when fighting through defenses' attempts to muck him up. He is strong along the boards and not afraid to fight in the crease for loose pucks. Hughes is smallish at 5'10-170, but also does not play with any fear. Hughes is also willing to go to the dirty areas to contribute to his team and, though he lacks Kakko's strength, he is very elusive and difficult to get a body on.
Hughes' biggest advantage is in skating. Not only is his skating on par with names like McDavid and MacKinnon, but he has a rare ability to think the game, stickhandle and give tape-to-tape dishes while flying at top speed. His hands and feet are so quick and his vision is so good, he seems to slow the game down while speeding it up. It's a rare ability which perhaps only McDavid has on his level.
It is important to know that these kids are both going to be superstars. If the Devils win the 1 or 2 overall pick, it is a certainty that they will both be skating on the second line and (likely) top power play unit as soon as next season. It is also important to know that, as amazing as Kakko is, Hughes is still the consensus #1 pick. Though, if a team which places a heavy value on size (Anaheim would be my top guess) wins the lottery, there could be some talk about Kakko going #1. But Shero and Castron both covet speed, and, though Kakko is a strong skater, Hughes is absolutely gifted in this respect. If the Devils draft #1, Hughes will be the 99.9% favorite to be the pick.
