The NHL scouting combine is set to begin in Buffalo, and the New Jersey Devils are still evaluating their potential first overall pick.
The New Jersey Devils have a franchise-defining decision to make in a couple of weeks. You can bet your bottom dollar that they will be doing everything in their power to ensure that they make the right decision when they make the first-overall selection at the 2019 NHL Draft.
The two consensus choices are American center Jack Hughes and Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko. Hughes has been the top overall prospect for over a year and the likely pick for New Jersey, but from the 2019 World Juniors Tournament on, Kakko has made a case for himself to be taken first.
Kakko didn’t hurt his stock by having a very good World Championships tournament. He and his Finnish teammates earned the Gold Medal and the celebration was on. Hughes and the Americans lost to Russia in the playoff game to miss out on the medal round. Hughes only had three assists in the tournament, but he was dangerous in just about every single one of his shifts. He had a very limited role in the tournament, as he played deep in the lineup and only averaged 13:52 of ice time.
Next up on the draft season calendar is the NHL scouting combine. It will be at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY. There will be physical and medical testing along with 1-on-1 interviews with teams. There are going to be 56 forwards, 38 defensemen, and 10 goaltenders attending this combine as the team’s scout things beyond just hockey.
Jack Hughes is attending the event and is also scheduled to meet with the Devils. He will have his last chance to put himself over the top and make sure that the Devils will select him with the first-overall pick. Kaapo Kakko is not attending the event, although he was originally supposed to. He backed out on Tuesday, just a few days after winning the gold medal with Team Finland at the World’s tournament.
This might give Jack a bit of an advantage once again because he will be able to meet with Ray Shero and the rest of the Devils management while Kakko will not. Nico Hischier really seemed to hit it off with management at his combine and the Devils ultimately took him. This might not be the end all be all but it certainly plays into the hands of Hughes. They are both going to be so good in the NHL so the Hughes-Kakko debate will go on years after the Devils and New York Rangers make their picks, and on rival clubs won’t help the situation.
Maybe there is truth to the idea that Kakko going to fit in better right away because he is much more used to playing with and against grown men, but Jack’s offense is undeniable. Chicago Blackhawks superstar Patrick Kane said that Hughes is better than he was at that age, and we all know what Kane has done in his Hall of Fame career. Right now as we head into the combine, it is fair to say that Hughes has the edge on Kakko in terms of who the Devils are going to take.
Keep up with Pucks and Pitchforks and our writers on Twitter to see all things related to Hughes at the combine, we will be all over it.