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“But to have the courage to do it on that
stage against a bunch of NHLers, that was
pretty special.”
The conventional wisdom suggests no
team will overvalue a player’s performance
in a 10-game tournament, but there’s no
denying he’s making a point. And while
scouts will lean on a couple years of
tracking for both Kakko and Hughes, it’ll
be impossible to dismiss this stretch of
play. Even if he doesn’t surpass Hughes
the way Nathan MacKinnon vaulted over
Seth Jones with a clutch performance in
the 2013 Memorial Cup, Kakko’s efforts
in Slovakia have highlighted his superstar
potential on the ice and in the hobby.
That Kakko managed to turn the No. 1
into a coin flip is stunning. Scouts have been
anticipating the arrival of Hughes since he
scored 116 points in his 16-year-old season
with the USA National Team Development
Program, shattering the record previously
shared by Phil Kessel and Clayton Keller for
a player that age by 34 points.
He ended up posting 228 points over
two seasons with the US NTDP. Compare
that to the totals of Keller (189), Auston
Matthews (167) and Jack Eichel (139) with
the same organization and it’s no wonder
he’s the favorite to go first.
“He’s an explosive talent, with elite skating
ability and the tools to create and finish plays
in the offensive zone,” the scout said. “He’s
smart, unselfish and determined ... [he’s] a
gamebreaker in the mold of Patrick Kane.”
Much like Kane, Hughes is an under-
whelming physical specimen – somewhere
in the range of 5-foot-9, 161 pounds. But
the lack of ideal size didn’t prevent Kane
from going first overall in 2007. And given
how today’s game is even more accom-
modating of dashing waterbugs, Hughes
is still a good bet to go to New Jersey with
the top pick.
“Sure, we all wish he was 6-foot-4,
220,” the scout said. “But believe me
when I say his size isn’t an issue. He’s go-
ing to be No. 1 center and an elite points
producer for a long time.”
Those points weren’t there early on as
he skated with Team USA at the Worlds.
The youngest player ever to suit up for the
Americans at the event, he was forced to
wear a cage until midway through when
his 18th birthday allowed him to switch to
the standard half shield. He tallied just one
assist through the first six games, despite
playing alongside Jack Eichel, but for his
first event against men, he handled himself
admirably.
And since scouts are considering what
he can do long term, if it takes a couple
years for Hughes to reach what some
believe to be a higher ceiling, well, that’s
worth the wait.
Kakko, however, has the size, strength
and skill to make both an immediate and
a long-term impact. And if he ends up in
New York, there’s little doubt he’ll be the
player that collectors flock to.
“To me, he’s about the perfect pros-
pect,” the scout said. “He’s determined to
be the best player every time he steps on
the ice. And if he’s not, that just makes
him work harder.
“If he goes second, he’ll always have that
chip on his shoulder. And he ends up in
New York? Watch out!”
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