Jack Hughes first 2 pro seasons : improving, but still not 1st overall level

[Emperoreddy]

He'll be very good, but he really needs to improve at the dot if he's going to be a center. I think the next few seasons will determine whether or not he'll be on the wing.

He isn't moving to wing

 

[Eggtimer]

He'll be very good, but he really needs to improve at the dot if he's going to be a center. I think the next few seasons will determine whether or not he'll be on the wing.

Ya no. He has tried playing at wing last year and didn’t go too well. Most young kids suck at foaceoffs for their first few years. I’m not worried one bit or really care if his FO% is not great.

 

[DontLaughAtThat]

He isn't moving to wing

Well he better improve drastically on faceoffs then. Obviously he's young and I expect him to get better, but 35% isn't nearly good enough for a center.

 

[Goomba]

Well he better improve on faceoffs then. Obviously he's young and I expect him to, but if he doesn't, good luck playing a guy at center who wins like 35% of his draws.

He can play center and not take faceoffs. Its becoming more of a norm, wingers taking faceoffs (with how many guys get kicked out)

Jack though will 100% play center his entire career. His playstyle is dependent on having free reign over the ice

 

[DontLaughAtThat]

He can play center and not take faceoffs. Its becoming more of a norm, wingers taking faceoffs (with how many guys get kicked out)

Jack though will 100% play center his entire career. His playstyle is dependent on having free reign over the ice

Definitely true. The problem right now is that the Devils as a whole are pretty terrible at the dot in general.

 

[Hisch13r]

Definitely true. The problem right now is that the Devils as a whole are pretty terrible at the dot in general.

We were also missing our best faceoff guy for most of the year. Nico has improved a ton year over year and was over 56% in the games he did play. McLeod's better than average and could improve as well. Hughes won't be playing with them to take the draws away from him but situational faceoffs are what really matter anyway and they can take the key draws when needed and the special teams draws. Hughes also managed to dominate possession this year while being awful at faceoffs which is either a testament to how little the vast majority of faceoffs matter or how good Hughes is at controlling play

 

[HughJazz3dg]

One day the stars will align, not only will he be a better finisher, and grow into a man, but he’ll also (hopefully) have some players who can finish his feeds.

 

[Muikea Bulju]

Yes, and still by FAAAAAAR better than Kakko

 

[PizzaAndPucks]

Yes, and still by FAAAAAAR better than Kakko

As a Devils fan I would take Hughes over Kakko still but Kakko doesnt get the same opportunity Hughes does. He has to play a 2nd 3rd line role with 2nd unit PP time. Devils have spoon fed Hughes alot of minutes and PP time all year and he had mixed results. He deff improved this year for sure. Both players will be good.

 

[Machinehead]

Yes, and still by FAAAAAAR better than Kakko

Good because he was picked ahead of Kakko.

I don't understand why this always has to become dung-flinging when both teams took the consensus pick.

Removing the sensationalism, I would put Hughes close-but-clear ahead of Kakko, I would say they're close-but-clear the two best prospects from the class right now.

So yeah, it couldn't possibly be less of an issue.

 

[Machinehead]

Hughes was low-key really, really good this season.

People need to understand that McDavid/MacKinnon aren't the normal 1st overall and that some are actual prospects.

If Hughes had the season he just had at the age he is, and went 10th overall, people would be pissing themselves with excitement and saying he's worth everyone's best player on the trade board. Same goes for Kakko.

 

[StreetHawk]

Hughes was low-key really, really good this season.

People need to understand that McDavid/MacKinnon aren't the normal 1st overall and that some are actual prospects.

If Hughes had the season he just had at the age he is, and went 10th overall, people would be pissing themselves with excitement and saying he's worth everyone's best player on the trade board. Same goes for Kakko.

As much as the game has gotten faster the guys who have done well as teenagers were not as light as Hughes.

 

[WingsMJN2965]

This guys still going to be a star. I’m still a bit salty about the avs missing out on the no.1 overall pick

Right? Instead you guys only ended up with a potential #2C and a top pairing D from that draft...

 

[DontLaughAtThat]

We were also missing our best faceoff guy for most of the year. Nico has improved a ton year over year and was over 56% in the games he did play. McLeod's better than average and could improve as well. Hughes won't be playing with them to take the draws away from him but situational faceoffs are what really matter anyway and they can take the key draws when needed and the special teams draws. Hughes also managed to dominate possession this year while being awful at faceoffs which is either a testament to how little the vast majority of faceoffs matter or how good Hughes is at controlling play

Also a good point with Nico.

 

[WingsMJN2965]

Yes, and still by FAAAAAAR better than Kakko

Doesn't really say much. Kakko might not go Top 5 in a re-draft right now.

 

[Muikea Bulju]

As a Devils fan I would take Hughes over Kakko still but Kakko doesnt get the same opportunity Hughes does. He has to play a 2nd 3rd line role with 2nd unit PP time. Devils have spoon fed Hughes alot of minutes and PP time all year and he had mixed results. He deff improved this year for sure. Both players will be good.

Kakko is very ineffective even in the minutes he plays. And for good reason, his stick is too short, and his skating is maybe the most inefficient the league has ever seen, legs move all around the place but nothing happens:

 

[Muikea Bulju]

Good because he was picked ahead of Kakko.

I don't understand why this always has to become dung-flinging when both teams took the consensus pick.

Removing the sensationalism, I would put Hughes close-but-clear ahead of Kakko, I would say they're close-but-clear the two best prospects from the class right now.

So yeah, it couldn't possibly be less of an issue.

Open your eyes, maaan

It's more like the 2019 redraft would be

1. Zegras
2. Hughes
3. Dach
4. Spencer Knight
5. Byram
6. Seider
7. Höglander
8. Cozens
9. Caufield
10. Kakko

And Knight might even jump to Top2 if some team needs a goalie. (He has been at leas 91,3% in every single league or tournament since his draft, and 91,9% this season with the Panthers ... probably the best goalie prospect in a loong timee)

 

[Muikea Bulju]

Doesn't really say much. Kakko might not go Top 5 in a re-draft right now.

Exactly. And he might be even out of the Top10 if the team picking at ten needs a D

Pretty safe to say he would be out of the top8, at least.

 

[Machinehead]

Open your eyes, maaan

It's more like the 2019 redraft would be

1. Zegras
2. Hughes
3. Dach
4. Spencer Knight
5. Byram
6. Seider
7. Höglander
8. Cozens
9. Caufield
10. Kakko

And Knight might even jump to Top2 if some team needs a goalie. (He has been at leas 91,3% in every single league or tournament since his draft, and 91,9% this season with the Panthers ... probably the best goalie prospect in a loong timee)View attachment 434654

Yes, a bunch of guys who have had a cup of coffee in the NHL have had better starts to their careers than a guy who's played every minute in the NHL and put up outstanding defensive metrics at 20 years old, in his D+2.

Not that being in the NHL is the be-all-end-all of development, and a bunch of these guys could end up better, but they haven't started their careers better and there's zero indication as of now that anything changes in a redraft.

Also, it's not Kakko's fault his former coach wanted to develop him into 3rd line grinder. Per minute, only Hoglander has significantly outscored him in a full season and even that wasn't a real full season.

Again, Kakko would be widely considered one of the two best prospects in that draft if he went lower and didn't play in the NHL which is backwards ass logic.

 

[Machinehead]

Doesn't really say much. Kakko might not go Top 5 in a re-draft right now.

Nuclear take.

Kakko goes 2nd in a re-draft right now.

 

[Machinehead]

Posters with Puljujarvi and Bertuzzi avatars telling me development is over at 20.

I couldn't make up something that good.

 

[WingsMJN2965]

Nuclear take.

Kakko goes 2nd in a re-draft right now.

Sucking in the NHL doesn't get you points over guys who look great outside of it.

Posters with Puljujarvi and Bertuzzi avatars telling me development is over at 20.

I couldn't make up something that good.

Well apparently you were ignorant enough to read it that way.

Though Puljujarvi is a weird example as 15 goals isn't all that impressive when you consider he was on a line with a guy that had 72 assists.

 

[Machinehead]

Sucking in the NHL doesn't get you points over guys who look great outside of it.

Kakko was great in 20-21.

His was put in a third line checking role and he put up elite defensive metrics. What was he supposed to do? Be a PPG player playing 14 minutes with no PP time?

 

[WingsMJN2965]

Kakko was great in 20-21.

His was put in a third line checking role and he put up elite defensive metrics. What was he supposed to do? Be a PPG player playing 14 minutes with no PP time?

When your first evidence of success for a winger is his defensive metrics, you're already starting out at a negative.

Realistically, if a redraft happens today, Byram/Dach/Hughes/Seider/Zegras are likely all going before Kakko.

Maybe future development shakes out differently, but it certainly hasn't from June 2019 - Present.

 

[rangersfansince08]

Kakko was great in 20-21.

His was put in a third line checking role and he put up elite defensive metrics. What was he supposed to do? Be a PPG player playing 14 minutes with no PP time?

That kid line idea was so dumb too.