GDT: 2019 IIHF World Championship IV - Knockout round (OP Warning)

[Jack Be Quick]

My comment stemmed from a discussion from Hughes, but in no way was I knocking him. I was simply stating that in my personal opinion, I don't think skating is the sole factor that determines offensive success. Obviously, it greatly helps to be a good skater, and certainly Hughes is probably around a 9-9.5/10 skater, but that doesn't mean someone who is say a 7/10 skater can't have great offensive success.

Look at my post history, I've constantly said I'd take Hughes 1, even if I think it's more a 1A/1B scenario with Kakko.

Cool story homie.

I'll do you one better as I have no desire to read anything even suggesting "1B": New York Rangers

Enjoy your enviable pick for every team that doesn't play in Newark and have a great evening.

 

[Polar Bear]

Cool story homie.

I'll do you one better as I have no desire to read anything suggesting 1B: New York Rangers

Have a great evening.

Lol, that's all.

Anyways, now that the WHC are over, we can move on to the combine, where, uh..., crap it's boring as hell. ):

 

[Jack Be Quick]

I'm far from lanky. In fact, I think I'm well on my way to achieving my goal. Brie would certainly help though

You'll get camembert and you'll f◇$%ing like it.

 

[StevenToddIves]

In the end, the WHC solidified Jack Hughes standing as the #1 overall pick in the 2019 draft and solidified Kappo Kakko's standing as the #2 overall pick. There is not an argument in my estimation, nor should there be.

Though these are both outstanding prospects, Hughes' electrifying effect on the pace of a game with precision and immediacy are rare; he pushes back an entire opposition defensively the moment he gets the puck. Hughes was deployed poorly all tournament by a borderline incompetent coach in Jeff Blashill -- this only ended in the Russia game when, due to Dylan Larkin's injury, Blashill saw it fit to give Hughes a consistent shift. A mediocre checking line center like Glendening still received more ice time than Hughes, but at least Hughes was given a shot every four shifts. What was the result? Well, on a team loaded with NHL all-stars, Hughes was the best forward in the game for Team USA and the most dangerous player on the ice for virtually every shift in the final two periods. He dominated the pace of what amounted to an NHL all-star game, and did so in the week of his 18th birthday. Jack Hughes is the #1 player in the 2019 draft.

It is absolutely crucial to note that, despite what some vitriolic fans on the main boards will tell you, this sort of much-deserved praise for Jack Hughes is in no way a slight on Kappo Kakko. Kakko was dominant in the first two games of the tourney, and though he slowed a bit when opposition defenses began keying on him in the later games, he still played well all tournament long. He answered (unfair) questions about his skating and passing, and the fact that opposing defenses seemed to be focusing on stopping him was a compliment in and of itself. Kappo Kakko is the #2 player in the 2019 draft.

Though "recency bias" is usually based on ignorance, it was very important for Kakko to play well. Think about this: if Kakko had not scored those 5 goals in the first two games of the tourney, after Bowen Byram's historic performance in the Memorial Cup Playoffs there would be several fans clamoring for Byram to be the #2 pick despite all the scouting evidence favoring Kakko -- just as there were several fans clamoring for Kakko to be the #1 pick after just two tournament games despite all the scouting evidence favoring Hughes.

In conclusion, the only event we have remaining to judge the players for the 2019 entry draft is the scouting combine. Jack Hughes is still #1, Kappo Kakko is still #2 and, I think we can now say, that Bowen Byram is a clear #3. How everything else shakes out will be a ton of fun to watch, and we can look forward to putting the (invented) Hughes controversy behind us and focus on the how the rest of the 2019 draft will turn out.