New York Rangers: The Kaapo Kakko show

Everyone following the New York Rangers has assumed that Kaapo Kakko is a future Blueshirt and will go second overall in the June draft after Jack Hughes.  After today, don’t be so sure.

The New York Rangers are in a wonderful position. They will end up with a generational player in the June Entry Draft and won’t have a tough choice to make.  That choice will be up to the New Jersey Devils and although the hockey world is still enamored of an incredibly skilled 17-year old Jack Hughes, it looks like Kaapo Kakko has almost caught up.

After a dazzling display of skill in the opening game of the World Championships in Slovakia where Kakko scored on a breakaway and added an empty net goal against Canada, he did even better in Finland’s second game against Slovakia.

Kakko’s hat trick

How do you improve on a two-goal effort?  Simple, you get a hat trick, notching three goals in Finland’s 4-2 win over hometown Slovakia.   How did he score?  The first goal was a one-timer from the point and got Finland the 2-1 lead.

After a faceoff win in the Slovak zone, Kakko took the no look pass at the point and put the one-timer slapshot over the Slovak goalie’s shoulder.  It was obviously a set play and Kakko made it look easy.

After Slovakia tied the score 2-2, it was up to Kakko to get the game winner midway through the third period.

Not only did Kakko win the battle on the boards for the puck, he was clearly directing traffic in the offensive zone and then he deked the pants off the Slovak defender  before going five hole with a backhand for the winning goal.

Once again, with 30 seconds left in a one goal game, the 18-year old was on the ice and of course, he added his second empty net goal of the tournament and his third of the game.

Even on the empty net goal he out muscled the Slovakian defender to get free.

He finished the game with six shots in a  little under 11 minutes of ice time.  His five goals are the most in the tournament.  He has scored on a breakaway, a one-timer slapshot, a backhand and on two empty nets. Remember, this young man is only 18 years old.

So, who goes number one?

While Kakko is dominating as a teenager among men, Jack Hughes is not chopped liver.  If the Devils do the unthinkable and pick Kakko first and the Rangers end up with Jack Hughes, no Ranger fan should be upset.

Remember what Jack Hughes has done as a 17-year old.  First, he is the youngest player to ever play for Team USA at the hockey World Championships. To put that in perspective, he is a teammate of Ryan Suter who was a regular for the Nashville Predators when Hughes was four years old.

He has scored more points for the U.S. National Development Team than any other player in history.  In 50 games for the team this season, he scored 34 goals and 112 points.  He was named the top player at the WJC in 2018.

Jack Hughes is Johnny Gaudreau to Kaapo Kakko’s Patrik Laine. They both bring something different to the table.  As a center, you could argue that Hughes plays a more important position, but watching Kakko the last two days, it’s clear he is a difference maker.

While the USA has a game on Sunday against France, the match-up everyone will be looking for will be Monday’s showdown between Team USA and Finland.  It will be Jack Hughes vs. Kaapo Kakko for the first time since the WJC gold medal game in January.  Mark your calendars and set your DVR’s.  Gametime is10:15am EST on the NHL Network.

It’s impossible to project what New Jersey will do. One factor that is in play is that the idea of Hughes centering Taylor Hall has to have the Devils salivating.  Then again, they already have Nico Hischier as a top center so Kakko could be a better option.

The only thing that is a lock is that the Rangers will get Hughes or Kakko and will be happy to “settle” for either.   Maybe a better analogy with some New York roots is that Hughes compares to  Bryan Trottier while Kakko compares to Mike Bossy.   Who would you want?