How many points will Hughes and Kakko have in year one?

[Favin]

How many points do you think Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko will have in their first seasons after the draft?

* Make two selections - one for each player
* If you have a specific number in mind, list in comments below
* Year two (2020-21) projections also welcome
* Only counting regular season NHL points for 2019-20

For comparison, I have included a list below of all the NHL players that have scored 30+ points in the season following their draft (or age 18 season for the handful of players that weren’t drafted).

Bolded names are active players in NHL.

(if I have forgotten anyone, let me know and will add)



80+ Points
Gretzky (1979-80)…………..….137
Hawerchuk (1981-82)………..103
Crosby (2005-06)…………….102
Lemieux (1984-85)……….……100
Yzerman (1983-83)……..……..87

70-79 Points
Carson (1986-87)………..…….79
Murphy (1980-81)……….…….76
Savard (1980-81)………..……..75
Kane (2007-08)……………….72
Turgeon (1983-83)…………..…72

60-69 Points
Matthews (2016-17)…………69
Arnott (1993-94)…………...……68
Francis (1981-82)……….…...….68
Larouche (1974-75)……..……..68
Carpenter (1981-82)……..……67
Housley (1982-83)……….…..…66
Bourque (1979-80)……..……..65
Bellows (1982-83)……...………65
Laine (2016-17)……..………...64
Allison (1980-81)…………...…...64
MacKinnon (2013-14)………63
Skinner (2010-11)….………….63

50-59 Points
Linden (1988-89)…….…..………59
Falloon (1991-92)………....……..59
Jagr (1990-91)…………......….……57
Eichel (2015-16)…….………….56
Kasper (1980-81)………...…..……56
Duchene (2009-10)…………..55
Tavares (2009-10)……..………54
Muller (1984-85)…………...…..….54
Goulet (1979-80)…………....….…54
Hischier (2017-18)……..……….52
Nugent-Hopkins (2011-12)...52 (in 62 GP)
Landeskog (2011-12)….……….52
Quinn (1983-84)…………….....….52
Kovalchuk (2001-02)…….…..51
Daigle (1993-93)…………....…..…51
Olczyk (1984-85)……….…....…...50

40-49 Points
Gagner (2007-08)……………...49
Tkachuk (2016-17)……………..48
McDavid (2015-16)…………….48 (in 45 GP)
Boschman (1979-80)…………..48
Samsonov (1997-98)……….…...47
Reinhart (1979-80)……..…….…..47
Hull (1957-58)…………….........……..47
Stamkos (2008-09)…………….46
Damphousse (1986-87)……….46
Clark (1985-86)…………...…....……45
Dahlin (2018-19)………..……….44
Babych (1980-81)………..…..……44
Staal (2006-07)……….…………42
Hall (2010-11)………....…………..42
Sykora (1995-96)………..…..…….42
Gratton (1993-94)………..………42
Turgeon (1987-88)……….……..42
Burridge (1985-86)……………..42
Ricci (1990-91)…………..…....……41
Gagne (1980-81)……….…....……41
Gillis (1977-78)…………....….……41
Orr (1966-67)……………......……..41
Fowler (2010-11)…….…..…….40

30-39 Points
Nash (2002-03)………....…..….…....39
Bergeron (2003-04)…………….39
Ekblad (2014-15)………....……….39
Redmond (1984-85)………..…….39
Tremblay (1974-75)………...….….39
Paiement (1974-75)……..….…….39
Hess (1974-75)……………........…….39
Svechnikov (2018-19)…………37
Wesley (1987-88)………..….…...…37
Andreychuk (1982-83)...……….37
Gaborik (2000-01)………..…..…..36
McCarthy (1979-80)………..……36
Lambert (1983-84)………..….…..35
LaVallee (1980-81)………..…...….35
Kotkaniemi (2018-19)…………34
Nichushkin (2013-14)…………34
Monahan (2013-14)…….………34
Connolly (1999-00)………..…….34
Leveille (1981-82)………......……..33
Messier (1979-80)………....……..33
Archibald (1987-88)…….….……33
Marleau (1997-98)……………..32
Coffey (1980-81)…………....…..….32
Yakupov (2012-13)……..……...….31
Neely (1983-84)…………..…....…..31
Lawton (1983-84)…………....……31
Benning (1981-82)…………....…..31
Svoboda (1984-85)………....…….31
Bodger (1984-85)……..…..………31
Patrick (2017-18)…….….………30
Pronger (1993-94)………..….…..30
Smith (1981-82)…………....…..…..30
McBain (1983-84)………...……..30
Markwart (1983-84)……..……..30

Click to read more...

 

[Nico the Draft Riser]

I voted 60-69 for Jack and 50-59 for Kaapo

 

[Beauner]

6

 

[EdJovanovski]

Kakko 38-32-70
Hughes 15-34-49

 

[Stewie Griffin]

Somewhere in the 50's for both.

 

[NotLeddy]

JH- 17-35-52 pts
Kakko- 23-42- 65 pts

 

[Crabapple]

low 60's for each of them

 

[Harhis]

Hughes seemed to struggle in the worlds so I wouldn't be surprised if he puts under 0.5 point a game.

Kakko will score 50ish points.

 

[Taluss]

71 Kakko and 75 Hughes

 

[Kamiccolo]

Kakko 38-32-70
Hughes 15-34-49

I can't help but feel Kakko has gotten really over rated this offseason. Something about Finish players on here.

 

[Psych0dad]

Hughes in the 30-40 pt range and Kakko in the 60s.

 

[jetsforever]

40-49 Hughes, 50-59 Kakko

 

[Psych0dad]

I can't help but feel Kakko has gotten really over rated this offseason. Something about Finish players on here.

Everyone and their dog knows he is more NHL ready than Hughes (even Devils admitted that before draft), that's why most predict Kakko to outscore Hughes in the first season.

 

[Kamiccolo]

Everyone and their dog knows he is more NHL ready than Hughes (even Devils admitted that before draft), that's why most predict Kakko to outscore Hughes in the first season.

People are predicting 70+ points. I don't think he is better than Matthews or Laine.

 

[tony d]

Hughes-48
Kakko-53

 

[Psych0dad]

People are predicting 70+ points. I don't think he is better than Matthews or Laine.

Depends on his usage. I think he is about the same level of prospect as those two, very similar path. Played against men, had a good showing at WJC and WHC. Hughes was quite a no show in the WHC compared to those 3.

Rangers might use Kakko in the 1st with great players because they don't have that much fwd depth. Laine and Matthews have suffered from usage. 70 is higher than I would predict but don't see it in any way impossible if he plays in 1st line all season. Laine had 64 points and he played most of the season in the 2nd line and 2nd PP. Also was out for 8 games. Matthews had injuries too which limited his successes.

So basing a player close to that caliber to get 70 in a full healthy 82 game season and 1st line icetime, I don't see it as that far fetched. More far fetched is the idea that he will have a fully healthy season though, even if he played against men it was a shorter season and different league.

 

[tealhockey]

I voted 40-49 for both, if one does better I think it will be Kakko, but usage is everything

 

[severian]

I voted 60-69 for Jack and 50-59 for Kaapo

Twinsies

 

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Hughes 50
Kakko 70

 

[Kaapo Takko]

Kakko 50-59
Hughes 40-49

If Kakko plays a full season with Panarin and Zibanejad I could see him putting up 70p+

 

[Favin]

My guess is Kakko will get more opportunity (1st line, 1st PP) while Hughes will play on more offensive team but on 2nd line. I could see high 50's from both.

(25 or 75 wouldn't shock me from either as well)

 

[Mildan]

I voted 60-69 for Kakko and below 30 for Hughes simply becasue I don't think he will play more than 25 games this year. Injuries or being sent to grow a bit.

 

[Uncle Dru]

50-59 for both

 

[EdJovanovski]

People are predicting 70+ points. I don't think he is better than Matthews or Laine.

The overwhelming consensus is that he's a better prospect than Laine was.

 

[Kamiccolo]

The overwhelming consensus is that he's a better prospect than Laine was.

Meh. That's always the way it is. New guy > old guy. Shiny new toy until he proves it otherwise