C Jack Hughes - USNTDP (2019, 1st, NJD) Part 6

[tealhockey]

Taylor Hall is not his ideal linemate.

Having them both on the same line is wasting an automatic zone entry and creates uncertainty in transition, along with two weaker defensive minds. They haven't lit it up because they're too similar. More than that, they're spending too much time trying to see the ice the way the other one does, attempting to thread the weirdest passes.

Ultimately with Hall gone, Hughes will likely do better with a Zacha or Boqvist. The latter is also a playmaker but is a bit more conservative and predictable. More than that, he's shown that he's decent at retrieval along the boards. Zacha is best as the receiver of the pass off the zone entry because he's a mediocre distributor in transition but very good with static setups.

I agree that those guys are probably better fits at the moment, Hall just doesn't seem to be in form and some of what you are describing is what I'm talking about. As far as two weaker defensive guys, it's one thing for a wing to be offensively-inclined but imo Hughes is going to have to become a good two-way player to be a top center for a good team. Put that with another two-way guy who can put the puck in the net and you have a potentially dominant playmaking force in Hall, a game-breaking guy in the middle in Hughes and a hell of a line overall

 

[Oneiro]

I agree - Hughes still has to understand that some aspects of his role are not a "sometimes"-thing, they're an "all the time"-thing. Dirty work and sharper angles to the puck carrier being the obvious ones.

That being said, I'm optimistic about his defensive game. After those first two horrendous games, he made some adjustments very quickly. I think he's a pretty quick study. A player like him needs to experiment and sort of try ill-advised things at points. The next coaching staff is going to be pretty critical to his development I think. He needs to push limits but also change some habits when the team is on its heels.

He's not going to be Datsyuk, but I think he can borrow a lot of what made Dats special with his tools. Basically the ability to see things develop ahead of time and act with his skating/hands.

 

[tealhockey]

I agree - Hughes still has to understand that some aspects of his role are not a "sometimes"-thing, they're an "all the time"-thing. Dirty work and sharper angles to the puck carrier being the obvious ones.

That being said, I'm optimistic about his defensive game. After those first two horrendous games, he made some adjustments very quickly. I think he's a pretty quick study. A player like him needs to experiment and sort of try ill-advised things at points. The next coaching staff is going to be pretty critical to his development I think. He needs to push limits but also change some habits when the team is on its heels.

He's not going to be Datsyuk, but I think he can borrow a lot of what made Dats special with his tools. Basically the ability to see things develop ahead of time and act with his skating/hands.

Yeah. a lot of things will come along if he develops properly. Getting better at face-offs will help him not be exposed on that end too

 

[goonybird]

I’ve only watched the Devils a couple time this year (mainly to watch Hughes) and it does seem a little bizarre that some of the players on their team don’t generate more points. When I watch guys like Hughes, Boqvist and even Miles Wood I’m astonished their point totals aren’t that great.

Used to feel this way about William Karlsson on Columbus

 

[TheBeastCoast]

Always thought he should have been eased into the league as a winger and once he had a summer or two to gain strength he transitioned back to the middle. Who knows though maybe the way they are doing it will work out well.

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

He's figuring out the league. He's showing an upward trajectory. He's fairly effective now on the PP and OT but at 5v5 it's still a work in progress. Now that the season is basically over I'm fine with throwing him in the fire as a C. He doesn't seem overwhelmed at this time, this will pay dividends next year.

 

[bigbabybuda]

I've see a lot of Nylander in him tbh. That's not a bad thing at all either. I think Nylander has been the Leafs best player this year and will only get better. I see a lot of Nylander but with a good deal more skill and upside. For whatever reason about 4 years ago I started following the Hughes brothers rather closely. I drafted them all well before their NHL eligibility in one of my pools and have made a point to watch them as much as possible. Jack will be elite in the offensive and neutral zone and better than average in his own end. He's growth has already looked good to me despite the points not coming in bunches. He's too good a skater, too smart, too agile, his stick is too good and is way too hard of a worker not to succeed at both ends of the ice. Not worried in the least about him. He's the best player in his draft class ainec. I'd bet anyone 1k that it's not debatable in 24 months.

 

[Albatros]

First game as a plus player today despite the loss, one bad streak over.

 

[goonybird]

However will we manage

 

[135ace]

He's the best player in his draft class ainec. I'd bet anyone 1k that it's not debatable in 24 months.

I think this has been clear to anyone with eyes for a while, assuming they're unbiased. Now that Kakko, the pride of Finland, draft-year scorer against men, savior of the New York Rags, has broken into the NHL and looked like the worst 2OA pick in recent memory, it shoule be all the more clear even to the biased Finns.

 

[EdJovanovski]

I think this has been clear to anyone with eyes for a while, assuming they're unbiased. Now that Kakko, the pride of Finland, draft-year scorer against men, savior of the New York Rags, has broken into the NHL and looked like the worst 2OA pick in recent memory, it shoule be all the more clear even to the biased Finns.

Kakko has equal or more points through his first 25 games played than Eichel, Svechnikov, Landeskog, Seguin, Reinhart & Barkov. The only 2nd overall pick in the past decade to out-produce Kakko through 25 games is Laine. Hughes is among the worst for 1st overall picks in scoring at this point, and Kakko is among the best for 2nd overall picks.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Kakko has equal or more points through his first 25 games played than Eichel, Svechnikov, Landeskog, Seguin, Reinhart & Barkov. The only 2nd overall pick in the past decade to out-produce Kakko through 25 games is Laine. Hughes is among the worst for 1st overall picks in scoring at this point, and Kakko is among the best for 2nd overall picks.

Yikes, that guy got put in his place. He should have did a bit of research.

 

[Kiekura]

Kakko has equal or more points through his first 25 games played than Eichel, Svechnikov, Landeskog, Seguin, Reinhart & Barkov. The only 2nd overall pick in the past decade to out-produce Kakko through 25 games is Laine. Hughes is among the worst for 1st overall picks in scoring at this point, and Kakko is among the best for 2nd overall picks.

Guy you replied is mist likely... Well you know. That word that starts with t.

Also Kakko is playing worse linemates than Hughes, but thats enough of Kakko.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

Guy you replied is mist likely... Well you know. That word that starts with t.

Also Kakko is playing worse linemates than Hughes, but thats enough of Kakko.

True.

 

[Kiekura]

True.

With*

 

[goonybird]

Hughes sucks lol jk

 

[Jersey Fresh]

I love the pivot to draft position here. Your boy, supposed man-child and "NHL-ready" / "played against men" prodigy, is putting up the same points as Hughes, but it's actually a positive (!) because he went 2nd overall.

Meanwhile, the ijukas of the world shrieked for months that Kakko was the better player and should go 1st overall

The sheer patheticness of it all.

 

[OKOptimistic]

Kakko is on a much better team, he is not even as noticeable as Chytil or even Lemieux on the Rangers. 10th in points while Hughes is 7th on their respective teams. Plus Kakko has the worse +/- on his team by a wide margin.

 

[My3Sons]

I don’t see any actual public media types hyping Kakko. Right now they are both underwhelming. Hughes looks much better than he did early but he still doesn’t know how to connect with the mediocre players on his team. Eventually he will figure it out. His defense and face offs aren’t as bad as they were at the beginning even if he has a long way to go. There have been multiple nights this season where HUGHES has been the best or second best player on the ice for NJ. At some point hopefully the teams will be relevant and the Hughes/Kakko discussion won’t be pointless.

 

[Hisch13r]

I don’t see any actual public media types hyping Kakko. Right now they are both underwhelming. Hughes looks much better than he did early but he still doesn’t know how to connect with the mediocre players on his team. Eventually he will figure it out. His defense and face offs aren’t as bad as they were at the beginning even if he has a long way to go. There have been multiple nights this season where HUGHES has been the best or second best player on the ice for NJ. At some point hopefully the teams will be relevant and the Hughes/Kakko discussion won’t be pointless.

The points will come. Hughes has some of the best underlying numbers on the team and after his terrible first 2 games THE best underlying numbers on the team. He's not underwhelming in the slightest

 

[My3Sons]

The points will come. Hughes has some of the best underlying numbers on the team and after his terrible first 2 games THE best underlying numbers on the team. He's not underwhelming in the slightest

It’s more so the other guys on the team. They don’t know who’s to get to where he wants to pass to them. I’m sure they will figure it out. Playing with Hughes you have to be ready for the puck and be ready to shoot all the time.

 

[Thebesthockey]

hes got great “ shot” assists

 

[KovalchukFistPump]

To be fair, Devils fans were told he likely wasn’t going to be a generational talent.

 

[VoidCreature]

Kakko has equal or more points through his first 25 games played than Eichel, Svechnikov, Landeskog, Seguin, Reinhart & Barkov. The only 2nd overall pick in the past decade to out-produce Kakko through 25 games is Laine. Hughes is among the worst for 1st overall picks in scoring at this point, and Kakko is among the best for 2nd overall picks.

And if Kakko had gone first and Hughes second this would still be true, albeit reversed.

Their stats to this point in their career are meaningless compared to what they're going to become.

 

[MichaelFarrell]

Hughes is by far the most noticeable player on the Devils for sure. Absolutely buzzes around the ice. At this point, stat watching is just ignorance. I implore people doing that to take the time to watch him play. Constantly generating chances, splitting through defenseman, outstanding stickhandling ability. So fun to watch and has all the tools to be one of the very best in the league.

I would like to see him utilize his teammates a bit better. I think sometimes he tries to do it all himself. He certainly needs to add size as well but he is not a mature 18 year old like Ekblad by any means. He looks like a young kid (because he is)