Jack Hughes did not have to share the spotlight Friday in Harborcenter.
The 18-year-old center answered questions from a crowd of reporters during a 12-minute interview, providing insight into his teammates with the U.S. National Development Program and his seven-week journey competing overseas in the under-18 and men's world championships.
However, the most prominent topic was the player with whom Hughes will soon share the spotlight: Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko. The two are competing to be the first player selected when the New Jersey Devils are on the clock June 21 in Vancouver. With Kakko choosing to not attend the combine, this week gave Hughes an opportunity to convince the Devils and others why he should realize his dream.
"I think that would be unbelievable," Hughes beamed while speaking to reporters. "You always dream of being number one. You don’t dream of being two, three or four when you’re a young kid. I want to be the first overall pick. I feel like that would be a dream come true if that happens."
Hughes has never relented during a competition, no matter the venue or risk involved. He seemingly solidified his draft stock last month when he scored nine goals with 11 assists in seven games at the under-18 world championships, becoming the all-time under-18 leading scorer by breaking a record previously held by Alex Ovechkin.
That performance came after he scored 34 goals with 78 assists in 50 games with the U.S. National Team Development Program. He finished his two years with 74 goals and 228 points in 110 games, giving him more points than anyone in the history of the program.
Rather than taking some time to rest, Hughes chose the risk by joining Sabres center Jack Eichel and South Buffalo native Patrick Kane on the United States' roster for the men's world championships in Slovakia. Hughes had only three assists in seven games as the team failed to earn a medal with a quarterfinal loss to Russia. Though he had a strong final game, Hughes showed he still needed to grow physically in order to withstand the rigors of an 82-game NHL season.
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Meanwhile, Kakko proved physically ready to compete against the world's best, scoring six goals in helping Finland win a gold medal. The 18-year-old wowed scouts during the IIHF World Junior Championship in January, recording five points, including the golden goal against the United States. He also scored 22 goals with 16 assists in 45 regular-season games in Liiga, Finland's top professional league.
Those close to Hughes weren't surprised by the decision. He challenged himself three years ago by joining the United States National Development Program, a training ground for the country's elite amateur players. It was at the team's training facility in Plymouth, Mich., where Hughes showed he is determined to win any competition.
"Jack Hughes will cut your arm off to win a game in practice on a Tuesday afternoon with nobody watching," Seth Appert, coach of the U.S. National Under-18 Team, told The Buffalo News in a phone interview. "Jack is a special player, and he’s a special person. He’s got a fun demeanor. He’s a killer competitor, but he still shows up at the rink. He loves hockey. He loves being on the ice. He’s the last guy out there."
Hughes didn't have that killer instinct during his interview with the Devils. In a video released by the team Thursday, Hughes spoke confidently about wanting to win a Stanley Cup and explained how he did "the hard thing" by playing against men at the world championships.
Hughes knew he didn't have to sell his talents to Devils General Manager Ray Shero or the nine other teams he met with. Instead, Hughes used the meeting as a means to show his potential future employer how he could be a franchise player and a potential solution to bringing another Stanley Cup to New Jersey.
Most of Hughes' other meetings were simply teams asking his opinion of other prospects with one exception: the New York Rangers, who own the second pick after jumping four spots at last month's lottery. Regardless of whomever is available for the Rangers to select, both players will be connected for the duration of their NHL careers.
"I think it’s good competition," Hughes said. "Every year they do that; one and two are competing with each other. I know he had a great year and I think we’ll be linked together for a lot of years with the Rangers and Devils right there. Excited and I think it’s been a good year for both of us."
NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr declined to compare the two players since they play different positions and will bring different skills to their respective teams. Marr acknowledged Kakko's 6-2, 194-pound frame is more ready for the NHL than Hughes, who was listed at 5-10, 170 pounds during the world championships.
However, Marr also described an elite prep skills clinic held in Toronto last July in which Hughes was the fourth-best player behind the Maple Leafs' John Tavares, Devils winger Taylor Hall and Edmonton center Connor McDavid. Marr called Hughes' shot NHL-ready and added that the prospect has the talent to compete against the league's top players as a rookie.
"Right now, Kakko has gotten the status," Marr said. "He’s a little more physically developed and that dictates the type of game he’s capable of playing, the situations he can be used in. The results that he gets. … Jack comes across more as that skilled, elite forward. … They both have some natural abilities and it’s going to be hard to say down the road who is going to be better because they're both going to bring different things to the table for their NHL teams."
Hughes' combine is not over. Like the rest of the 102 draft-eligible prospects, he will participate in a number of tests and drills Saturday, the results of which are unlikely to have any bearing on the Devils' decision.
Few people know which way Shero and the Devils are leaning. The only certainty is the Hughes versus Kakko debate will continue until the pick is announced in Vancouver.
"I’m a competitive person, but at the same time I think I’m pretty laid back in situations like this," Hughes said. "For me, I’m at the point where they’ve probably seen me play 25 times this year, so all I have to do is kind of get to know them, be myself and not really worry about anything else. They’re just kind of putting a face to the name and getting to know me."
Story topics: Buffalo Sabres
