Interesting insights provided on this thread. It's tricky to make direct comparisons because Jack is a special player and that is undebatable. If you look at his age, impact, and competition the numbers are pretty strong, and if you just compare the numbers that will tell you a lot about who he compares to. This article lays that out pretty clearly.
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Why Jack Hughes is the top-ranked 2019 NHL draft prospect)
In short: He has the ability to contribute points at an elite level such as ______ .
It's easy to throw around comparisons and i think it's not really fair to do so because he is a without a doubt a unique player amongst unique players.
I don't think we are living in a world where a single player is strong enough to will a team to a cup, regardless of how good he is. So whether he is #1 or as good as ______ or better or worse, doesn't change the fact that
he will make a significant impact on any team.
If i had to make a direct comparison, i would go no further than Kakko (his closest competition for 1OA at this point).
(Kakko's production is outpacing both Laine and Barkovs production in a similar sample size by a half point per game. Both of whom went 2nd overall interestingly)
While they play and look totally different,
Kakko looks more like an NHL ready player, stronger with the puck, just as dominant as Hughes maybe more so, but not exactly
as fast and sneaky. And he is dominate playing with some big guys which is interesting. Hughes has higher playmaking abilities than Kakko, but that's not to take anything away from him he is a very capable playmaker as well. Kakko however has the full package in terms of everything you could ask for from an NHL player. Kakkos shot is what really surprised me, very accurate. I just don't see any major weaknesses in his game. His puck protection is already on another level. With that said, there is definitely still room for growth amongst both players. Hughes though is faster, smaller, gets knocked off the puck easier, but is super smart with it. I have way more confidence that Kakkos game will translate to the NHL immediately, while Hughes has a potentially higher upside as far at point production goes. It's all speculation at this point and I think having either one of these players on your team would be amazing. It seems like Hughes would thrive in a Kane/Toews environment and Kakko would thrive in an environment like LA or St. Louis.
I realize this logic flies in the face of the Lose4Hughes hype or those that claim it is absurd to even compare the two... and I don't want to knock Hughes, because nobody knows how much all around/physical growth is left there. But he is more of a gamble in my opinion because of his size and how easy it is to bump him off of the puck. That could change though, and it would be a mistake to underestimate his speed and tenacity to get the puck back. He plays like he is so hungry for the puck every-time he's on the ice, it's really incredible to watch. But if you are comparing the two, watch some video and count the times Jack gets bumped off of the puck verses how many times Kakko does and you will see something very interesting. Now imagine them both in the NHL next year, or playing at the center position. If you're awarding 1st overall based solely on potential points per game, Hughes wins. If you are basing it on a pro's and cons comparison Kakko takes the cake. I think that's pretty clear. Again, it's all speculation at this point and all we can do is count the stats compare, and use the eye test.
What kind of player does your team need?
I'll leave you with these links to consider everything i've mentioned.