Pucks and Pitchforks
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Analyzing Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko’s Fit With New Jersey Devils

By Vincent Parise

CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 23: The New Jersey Devils select center Nico Hischier with the 1st pick in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft on June 23, 2017, at the United Center in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Daniel Bartel/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 23: The New Jersey Devils select center Nico Hischier with the 1st pick in the first round of the 2017 NHL Draft on June 23, 2017, at the United Center in Chicago, IL. (Photo by Daniel Bartel/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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New Jersey Devils Nico Hischier
(Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images) /

Kaapo Kakko

You might remember the 2016 NHL Draft. Auston Matthews went first overall as a skilled offensive minded center, but there Finnish winger who went just behind him at pick number two in Patrik Laine. The 2019 Draft is shaping up to be pretty similar. A dynamic center who can make plays and score going first overall, and a Finnish sniping winger going second. According to everyone, Kaapo Kakko is going number two in the 2019 Draft. There are even people who believe he should go first but he will go second in all likelihood.

If the Devils fell short of the top pick but came in second they will get a great consolation prize in Kakko as he could also help solidify a second line and possibly even a top line. When the second line is brought up that is just a number, with Kakko or Hughes added they hope to basically have two first lines. Kakko is the sniper of the two. Think Patrik Laine or Alexander Ovechkin.

He would be slotted wherever Kyle Palmieri is not as they are both right-wingers. Kappo is a pure sniper who figures to use his quick thinking brand and outstanding shot to score lots of goals. He also has the ability to score lots of different ways. He will give any team a great sniper that they can use in multiple different ways.

Kappo also has a bit of a clutch gene so far in his young career. He scored the golden goal at the 2019 World Junior Championships back in January. He broke all of our hearts because it was against Team USA and there were only 1:26 left in regulation. Now there is a chance he makes us smile if he were to end up on the New Jersey Devils.

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Kakko also had a really good year for his club team TPS of Liiga. In 45 games he had 22 goals. That league isn’t the same level of skill around him so that is a really nice number. You would think that his goal-scoring ability will almost always outweigh his playmaking but that can certainly improve as well. You can see guys like Ovechkin and Laine’s playmaking is still good even though they are still considered snipers. Hopefully, Kakko would end up the same way.

It might be ideal to have a playmaker like Hall play with Kakko on the power play. Hall is the best on the team and one of the best in the NHL at making plays and setting up teammates. That would also push another guy down to the second unit in hopes of having two units who are dangerous.

The bottom line is that these two players would make this offense much better quickly and hopefully for a very long time. Devils broadcaster made a great point in the final broadcast about Connor McDavid only being to the playoffs once and Jack Eichel has never made it, despite all the hype heading into that draft. Those are elite players not but it isn’t just about your top draft choices. It is about building a great team of skill and character around your stars. There is other help on the way and hopefully, they can do something great with these upcoming ten picks, leading with what we hope is a top two pick.

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