Hughes or Kakko

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

12 minutes ago, MadDog2020 said:

Wow, didn’t know that. Max Domi is a type 1 diabetic as well. So is Bobby Clarke.

Amazing how people are able to overcome Type 1...it's not easy (I have Type 2...I was diagnosed about 2.5 years ago...so far through exercising fiendishly and watching what I eat, I've kept it completely under control through diet and exercise...no meds).  For those who don't know the basic difference, when you have Type 2, you either don't produce as much insulin as you once did, or your body doesn't react to it correctly...you become "insulin resistant". 

Type 1 means you produce zero insulin...it's tough, because depending on how much insulin you administer to yourself in a given day (it's based on what foods you eat, though it will never be an exact science), your blood sugar can be anywhere from 30 to 350 over the course of that day (those without diabetes are usually between 70-140).  One of my employees has a son with Type 1, and some years ago his classroom had a birthday party for a fellow student...he ate two cupcakes without telling anyone, and his blood sugar spiked up to 412...he wound up in the hospital for the rest of the day, but fortunately recovered (and learned the hard way that there's certain things that he just can't ever do, period). 

So yeah, I have a lot of respect for people who not only manage to live with Type 1, but don't let it stop them from chasing their dreams...especially those that require both a lot of physical exertion, and to be the "best of the best" to get where they want to go. 

[titans04]

3 hours ago, Devilsfan118 said:

I didn't mean my post before as a bash on Hughes - I just think it's very interesting that Kakko may close the gap significantly after this tournament.

Seems like we really can't go wrong with either kid at this point - shame the #2 has to go to the Rangers though. 

Bingo! The entire point.  To completely dismiss Kakko imo would be a mistake.  I don't think they can make a bad choice here, I just hope whoever we choose is as good as the talk.  Time will tell. 

[MadDog2020]

14 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Amazing how people are able to overcome Type 1...it's not easy (I have Type 2...I was diagnosed about 2.5 years ago...so far through exercising fiendishly and watching what I eat, I've kept it completely under control through diet and exercise...no meds).  For those who don't know the basic difference, when you have Type 2, you either don't produce as much insulin as you once did, or your body doesn't react to it correctly...you become "insulin resistant". 

Type 1 means you produce zero insulin...it's tough, because depending on how much insulin you administer to yourself in a given day (it's based on what foods you eat, though it will never be an exact science), your blood sugar can be anywhere from 30 to 350 over the course of that day (those without diabetes are usually between 70-140).  One of my employees has a son with Type 1, and some years ago his classroom had a birthday party for a fellow student...he ate two cupcakes without telling anyone, and his blood sugar spiked up to 412...he wound up in the hospital for the rest of the day, but fortunately recovered (and learned the hard way that there's certain things that he just can't ever do, period). 

So yeah, I have a lot of respect for people who not only manage to live with Type 1, but don't let it stop them from chasing their dreams...especially those that require both a lot of physical exertion, and to be the "best of the best" to get where they want to go. 

My grandmother and her sister (my great aunt) were Type 1, and my mom was diagnosed as Type 2 a little over a year ago.... I have a history of diabetes in my family. 

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Just now, MadDog2020 said:

My grandmother and her sister (my great aunt) were Type 1, and my mom was diagnosed as Type 2 a little over a year ago.... I have a history of diabetes in my family. 

There wasn't a history in my family...I had some symptoms (mostly having to pee a bunch during the night...unfortunately I still deal with that one...not uncommon to get a spike during the very early morning hours), but never thought I would be diabetic.  I was floored when I was officially diagnosed with it.  Really hope you don't wind up having it at some point, though I've found that it really hasn't been so bad...sure, you definitely have to watch what you eat a lot more, and make sure to get a lot of exercise (people who know me have gotten used to the fact that I often speedwalk 5-7 miles after going out to dinner with them...if it's a fancier restaurant, I'll even bring workout clothes to change into...that's the price I have to pay if want to go off the rails a little bit with any given meal, but I'm so used to it now that I don't even think about it anymore...I just do it)...besides, just doing what we're all supposed to be doing anyway, right?  I just had my hands forced into staying consistently disciplined.  Sadly, a lot of people just opt for the meds (and think that allows them to live their pre-diagnosis lifestyle) or don't take it seriously.  That obviously can lead to a lot of problems down the line, many of them rather grotesque. 

[SterioDesign]

26 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Amazing how people are able to overcome Type 1...it's not easy (I have Type 2...I was diagnosed about 2.5 years ago...so far through exercising fiendishly and watching what I eat, I've kept it completely under control through diet and exercise...no meds).  For those who don't know the basic difference, when you have Type 2, you either don't produce as much insulin as you once did, or your body doesn't react to it correctly...you become "insulin resistant". 

Type 1 means you produce zero insulin...it's tough, because depending on how much insulin you administer to yourself in a given day (it's based on what foods you eat, though it will never be an exact science), your blood sugar can be anywhere from 30 to 350 over the course of that day (those without diabetes are usually between 70-140).  One of my employees has a son with Type 1, and some years ago his classroom had a birthday party for a fellow student...he ate two cupcakes without telling anyone, and his blood sugar spiked up to 412...he wound up in the hospital for the rest of the day, but fortunately recovered (and learned the hard way that there's certain things that he just can't ever do, period). 

So yeah, I have a lot of respect for people who not only manage to live with Type 1, but don't let it stop them from chasing their dreams...especially those that require both a lot of physical exertion, and to be the "best of the best" to get where they want to go. 

My sister and her son both have Type 1. It's rough and can be really scary. Once when i was a teenager i'd be playing outside and my mom would rush outside freaking out screaming to go check on my sister while she was calling the ambulance. I'd rush in and she'd be having some sort of seizure with her eyes rolling back and she was not responding at all. Hearing your mom crying over the phone for the paramedics to hurry cause she was losing her daughter and not being able to do anything. Super rough i don't wish that on anyone

[glenwo2]

1 hour ago, mfitz804 said:

I googled Kaako to double check his age, and read on Wikipedia he is a Type 1 diabetic and has celiac disease. 

Not that it would change my mind one way or the other, I just found it interesting.

Whoa!   That's unexpected to learn.

[MadDog2020]

5 minutes ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

There wasn't a history in my family...I had some symptoms (mostly having to pee a bunch during the night...unfortunately I still deal with that one...not uncommon to get a spike during the very early morning hours), but never thought I would be diabetic.  I was floored when I was officially diagnosed with it.  Really hope you don't wind up having it at some point, though I've found that it really hasn't been so bad...sure, you definitely have to watch what you eat a lot more, and make sure to get a lot of exercise (people who know me have gotten used to the fact that I often speedwalk 5-7 miles after going out to dinner with them...if it's a fancier restaurant, I'll even bring workout clothes to change into...that's the price I have to pay if want to go off the rails a little bit with any given meal, but I'm so used to it now that I don't even think about it anymore...I just do it)...besides, just doing what we're all supposed to be doing anyway, right?  I just had my hands forced into staying consistently disciplined.  Sadly, a lot of people just opt for the meds (and think that allows them to live their pre-diagnosis lifestyle) or don't take it seriously.  That obviously can lead to a lot of problems down the line, many of them rather grotesque. 

Yeah man definitely something I think about, especially given that I eat like crap for the most part (I love my junk food and fast food).... my mom is on meds (Metphormin), but she committed herself to doing the work to improve her A1C and keep it at Type 2. She bought a stationary bike, walks, and regularly exercises. She is truly an inspiration, and I’m very proud of her for taking the proper steps with her diet and exercise. It takes a lot of discipline. She’s my hero.

[Chimaira_Devil_#9]

2 hours ago, MadDog2020 said:

Sure. It also helps to be on the ice to actually, ya know, show that. Kakko is on a team full of scrubs, hence he gets ice time.

Of course, but I think he would get ice time anyway, he is clearly good enough. 

I think one of the things that will limit Hughes Ice time is the fact he has just come off the back of another tournament where he logged huge minutes. That's got to have some effect. 

Edited May 13, 2019 by Chimaira_Devil_#9

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Just now, MadDog2020 said:

Yeah man definitely something I think about, especially given that I eat like crap for the most part (I love my junk food and fast food).... my mom is on meds (Metphormin), but she committed herself to doing the work to improve her A1C and keep it at Type 2. She bought a stationary bike, walks, and regularly exercises. She is truly an inspiration, and I’m very proud of her for taking the proper steps with her diet and exercise. It takes a lot of discipline. She’s my hero.

Good for her man.  My A1C was at 7.3 when I was initially diagnosed (5.6 or less is non-diabetic, 5.7 - 6.4 is prediabetic, and 6.5 or higher is diabetic).  In five lab checks since, I've been at 6.3, 6.4, 6.2, 6.0, and 6.0 (in that order)...unfortunately, that leads some to say "So now you're only prediabetic!"  Nope.  Once your body proves that it can punch through that diabetic wall, you're diabetic, that's it...if I ever went back to eating like I did before, I could wind up right back up there.  All you can do is everything in your power to manage the condition, and try like hell to not let it destroy your health or shorten your life. 

[MadDog2020]

1 minute ago, Colorado Rockies 1976 said:

Good for her man.  My A1C was at 7.3 when I was initially diagnosed (5.6 or less is non-diabetic, 5.7 - 6.4 is prediabetic, and 6.5 or higher is diabetic).  In five lab checks since, I've been at 6.3, 6.4, 6.2, 6.0, and 6.0 (in that order)...unfortunately, that leads some to say "So now you're only prediabetic!"  Nope.  Once your body proves that it can punch through that diabetic wall, you're diabetic, that's it...if I ever went back to eating like I did before, I could wind up right back up there.  All you can do is everything in your power to manage the condition, and try like hell to not let it destroy your health or shorten your life. 

My mom was at 8.5 when she was diagnosed- three months later, she had it down to 6.4. Three months after that, she was down to 6.1, and seven months after that 6.2. She has also lost 25 pounds. And believe me when I tell you- she worked, and continues to work her ass off to maintain good numbers.

[titans04]

Damn guys hoping it's manageable for you and yours.  Wishing you all the best as always.

[Daniel]

Analysis true.

 

[mfitz804]

9 minutes ago, Daniel said:

Analysis true.

 

Pretty much what I said earlier, but nobody listened to me. In fairness, Julie is prettier than I am which may be why more people paid attention. 

It's close, but she edges me out, like a Hughes/Kakko thing. 

[Chimaira_Devil_#9]

Ohhhhhhhhh

[MadDog2020]

49 minutes ago, Daniel said:

Analysis true.

 

Oh she’s absolutely right. Blashill is still a bad coach though. That’s an opinion I’ve held long before this tournament. You have Blashill and Bylsma on the same staff in Detroit.... I don’t know how Wings fans deal with that much stupidity. I’d need to be committed if those two idiots coached the Devils. 

[glenwo2]

8 minutes ago, Chimaira_Devil_#9 said:

Ohhhhhhhhh

[Neb00rs]

5 hours ago, MadDog2020 said:

Hughes still needs to gain his man strength. When he does, it will obviously make a huge difference. Kakko is further along in that regard, but everyone needs to remember: you aren’t drafting for today. You’re drafting for the player you’re going to have in five years. This is why a big picture outlook is so important. You can’t make these decisions based on just today.

 

4 hours ago, SterioDesign said:

I get all but that just OT displayed what im saying. Both players out there with plenty of ice and playing the same amount of minutes at top level. Hughes was knocked down quite easily and Kakko literally dominated, was pushed around and kept the puck, was really strong physically, showed great puck control and had good opportunities to score. 

I said it a million times Hughes is my pick. But if he's a player that keeps on being easily knocked off the puck and struggle when its getting physical in the playoffs well. Smaller, weaker NHL players can do well in the NHL now, its not like it use to. But bigger stronger body are still winning playoffs series. Every player Hughes outscored in the program were also bigger so their transition was easier. Keller is small though but he also struggled pretty bad last season.

So, I haven't chimed in on this debate in a week or so, partly because I don't have the time to post that I used to and partly because there isn't much that should change given one tournament; that and, well....there's no right answer.  So now I'll rant to make up for all the silence from me ya'll have been blessed with. To me, the most important thing that happens over the next few weeks is John Hynes takes the chance to get to know Jack Hughes, see how he responds to adversity, see how he works, see how he responds to coaching.

After watching more and more of Kakko's highlights (and WC games) I'm not sure the gap in vision and playmaking is as big as I thought it was. Also, Kakko is a manchild. He bodied Ryan Suter up against the boards near the end of the game today, and while the puck was on his stick too! I had to smile a little when I saw that, it was impressive.  Kakko was, in my view, the most dominant player on the ice for Finland today - maybe for any team with his six shots and pass that should have resulted in a goal. For a newly minted 18 year old who has zero NHL experience, that's pretty crazy. I also really respect his resilience in living with Celiac Disease and Diabetes and still becoming the player he has - that is not easy for anyone, let alone a growing athletic boy.

So then you probably are about to ask me, "so who's your guy Neb00rs?"

My answer: That would be Jack Hughes.

That kid is special. Right now he is being challenged for real for maybe the first time in his life. Yeah, he played with older kids his entire childhood, but not ones that were going to the NHL for the most part. Now all of a sudden, he's a 5'10 166 lb (give me a break, 150 lbs) boy going against men twice his size and strength. And he's not getting much ice time either. And despite being physically manhandled, a few times, he's doing just fine.

This kid looks special to me. Kakko has made a few great plays yeah, not just shots that proceed his big body barreling to the net either, but elite passes and impressive dangles. But Hughes has these little moments in between his running around on the ice trying too hard to prove something, that made me go, "yeah, that's next level...all by himself level." He made one pass out of the defensive zone today, in which there's no way he could have seen his receiving teammate coming unless he has eyes on the back of his head. Of course, if he does have eyes on the back of his head then he's a mutant, not someone with elite hockey sense, but I'm okay with drafting a mutant too. But that little pass, that was hardly noticeable because it was so smooth, was like a magnet from stick to stick. Perfect.

It's those little moments of skill, along with his determination out there, a pride that shows his character, even in the face of imminent death at the hands of giant ice skating Finnish Vikings, that show me that this kid is next level special. The next year or so is going to be filled with Kaapo Kakko scoring goal after goal, and impressing a lot of people as a rookie. And then, in my opinion, eventually Jack Hughes is going to figure it out, and when he does, it's going to be the Hughes show. 

There is of course many things that can happen and even if a player has a lot of potential it doesn't mean he is going to reach that potential, but Hughes seems like the type that when challenged, gets mad, and spends the extra hours, or as long as necessary, to figure it out and be the best - I gather this from the interviews he and his family have given.

And part of my standing by Hughes is, admittedly, less thought out, less skill-based. Simply, I like the kid. He seems like a Devil to me, it seems like it's meant to be that the Devils get this kid - the type of player we've never had. Btw, he's a Devil, that means he's my guy and don't fvck with him.

Of course, I don't need to be that sentimental here to defend this kid - let's not forget he just got done with one of, or maybe THE best amateur career in American hockey history. He's good, and yes, I couldn't care less how the rest of this tournament goes. If we judged every player by a single tournament or playoff, then Bryce Salvador is Erik Karlsson.

By the way, I also don't think that it's completely invalid to worry about Jack wanting to play with his brother. It seems to me that Hughes very much enjoys playing with his brother - this is a VERY close family. And I wouldn't assume that the Devils are going to be the one's to end up with both him and Quinn either. The Hughes family is a family that has grown up in the North American hockey world - they know the space. I've seen Jack, Jim, and Quinn Hughes all talk about how Vancouver is great because its a "hockey market." Jack is a kid, so there's no use grilling him about this now - he was barely just potty trained - but Ray should keep it in mind.

But yeah, you can't control the uncontrollables (that's probably not a noun but go fvck yourselves grammar Nazis). Sure, the idea is to get your #1 overall pick to stay for 15-20 years but...this is not something you make your draft pick based on, unless he tells you directly he's walking away as soon as he gets the chance. Keep in mind, Hughes wanting to play with his brother, is the sign of a good, sane person. If he preferred Vancouver, it wouldn't even really be that wrong - Vancouver is indeed a great place to play hockey and honestly, is the nicest city I've ever been to. But we gotta have a little faith - that he'll become a true Devil, you can't expect to control for everything down the line. And who knows Kakko could get one wiff of the stench of MSG (or he might just not be morally okay with the fact that his GM is the bad guy from Kindergarten Cop) and count down the days until he can bolt for an American city more like his quaint coastal city home of Turku, Finland where it takes more than thirty career points to get your jersey retired. From money to location to winning, there's a million reasons a player could bolt to another team aside from having a brother in the league. But as I said, it's a valid concern Jack could bolt for his bro. We'll deal with that down the line.

So yeah, for what my opinion is worth, which obviously isn't much, if you ask me three weeks from now who I think the Devils should draft, it'll be the same* as my answer today and three weeks ago: the skinny half-Jewish hockey phenom, Jacky Hughes, second of his name in the NHL.

*If something absolutely crazy comes out in the next few weeks, like that the Hughes family eats people, I reserve the right to change my mind. Not sure I even would in that case though. Kid needs all the protein he can get.

 

[glenwo2]

4 minutes ago, Neb00rs said:

 

So, I haven't chimed in on this debate in a week or so, partly because I don't have the time to post that I used to and partly because there isn't much that should change given one tournament; that and, well....there's no right answer.  So now I'll rant to make up for all the silence from me ya'll have been blessed with. To me, the most important thing that happens over the next few weeks is John Hynes takes the chance to get to know Jack Hughes, see how he responds to adversity, see how he works, see how he responds to coaching.

After watching more and more of Kakko's highlights (and WC games) I'm not sure the gap in vision and playmaking is as big as I thought it was. Also, Kakko is a manchild. He bodied Ryan Suter up against the boards near the end of the game today, and while the puck was on his stick too! I had to smile a little when I saw that, it was impressive.  Kakko was, in my view, the most dominant player on the ice for Finland today - maybe for any team with his six shots and pass that should have resulted in a goal. For a newly minted 18 year old who has zero NHL experience, that's pretty crazy. I also really respect his resilience in living with Celiac Disease and Diabetes and still becoming the player he has - that is not easy for anyone, let alone a growing athletic boy.

So then you probably are about to ask me, "so who's your guy Neb00rs?"

My answer: That would be Jack Hughes.

That kid is special. Right now he is being challenged for real for maybe the first time in his life. Yeah, he played with older kids his entire childhood, but not ones that were going to the NHL for the most part. Now all of a sudden, he's a 5'10 166 lb (give me a break, 150 lbs) boy going against men twice his size and strength. And he's not getting much ice time either. And despite being physically manhandled, a few times, he's doing just fine.

This kid looks special to me. Kakko has made a few great plays yeah, not just shots that proceed his big body barreling to the net either, but elite passes and impressive dangles. But Hughes has these little moments in between his running around on the ice trying too hard to prove something, that made me go, "yeah, that's next level...all by himself level." He made one pass out of the defensive zone today, in which there's no way he could have seen his receiving teammate coming unless he has eyes on the back of his head. Of course, if he does have eyes on the back of his head then he's a mutant, not someone with elite hockey sense, but I'm okay with drafting a mutant too. But that little pass, that was hardly noticeable because it was so smooth, was like a magnet from stick to stick. Perfect.

It's those little moments of skill, along with his determination out there, a pride that shows his character, even in the face of imminent death at the hands of giant ice skating Finnish Vikings, that show me that this kid is next level special. The next year or so is going to be filled with Kaapo Kakko scoring goal after goal, and impressing a lot of people as a rookie. And then, in my opinion, eventually Jack Hughes is going to figure it out, and when he does, it's going to be the Hughes show. 

There is of course many things that can happen and even if a player has a lot of potential it doesn't mean he is going to reach that potential, but Hughes seems like the type that when challenged, gets mad, and spends the extra hours, or as long as necessary, to figure it out and be the best - I gather this from the interviews he and his family have given.

And part of my standing by Hughes is, admittedly, less thought out, less skill-based. Simply, I like the kid. He seems like a Devil to me, it seems like it's meant to be that the Devils get this kid - the type of player we've never had. Btw, he's a Devil, that means he's my guy and don't fvck with him.

Of course, I don't need to be that sentimental here to defend this kid - let's not forget he just got done with one of, or maybe THE best amateur career in American hockey history. He's good, and yes, I couldn't care less how the rest of this tournament goes. If we judged every player by a single tournament or playoff, then Bryce Salvador is Erik Karlsson.

By the way, I also don't think that it's completely invalid to worry about Jack wanting to play with his brother. It seems to me that Hughes very much enjoys playing with his brother - this is a VERY close family. And I wouldn't assume that the Devils are going to be the one's to end up with both him and Quinn either. The Hughes family is a family that has grown up in the North American hockey world - they know the space. I've seen Jack, Jim, and Quinn Hughes all talk about how Vancouver is great because its a "hockey market." Jack is a kid, so there's no use grilling him about this now - he was barely just potty trained - but Ray should keep it in mind.

But yeah, you can't control the uncontrollables (that's probably not a noun but go fvck yourselves grammar Nazis). Sure, the idea is to get your #1 overall pick to stay for 15-20 years but...this is not something you make your draft pick based on, unless he tells you directly he's walking away as soon as he gets the chance. Keep in mind, Hughes wanting to play with his brother, is the sign of a good, sane person. If he preferred Vancouver, it wouldn't even really be that wrong - Vancouver is indeed a great place to play hockey and honestly, is the nicest city I've ever been to. But we gotta have a little faith - that he'll become a true Devil, you can't expect to control for everything down the line. And who knows Kakko could get one wiff of the stench of MSG (or he might just not be morally okay with the fact that his GM is the bad guy from Kindergarten Cop) and count down the days until he can bolt for an American city more like his quaint coastal city home of Turku, Finland where it takes more than thirty career points to get your jersey retired. From money to location to winning, there's a million reasons a player could bolt to another team aside from having a brother in the league. But as I said, it's a valid concern Jack could bolt for his bro. We'll deal with that down the line.

So yeah, for what my opinion is worth, which obviously isn't much, if you ask me three weeks from now who I think the Devils should draft, it'll be the same* as my answer today and three weeks ago: the skinny half-Jewish hockey phenom, Jacky Hughes, second of his name in the NHL.

*If something absolutely crazy comes out in the next few weeks, like that the Hughes family eats people, I reserve the right to change my mind. Not sure I even would in that case though. Kid needs all the protein he can get.

 

That last tiny comment, though :

[mfitz804]

I’d be ok with a cannibal if he’s got the talent. 

[SterioDesign]

3 minutes ago, mfitz804 said:

I’d be ok with a cannibal if he’s got the talent. 

Jack is not old enough to drink chianti while eating a liver with fava beans though

[mfitz804]

2 minutes ago, SterioDesign said:

Jack is not old enough to drink chianti while eating a liver with fava beans though

He can have chocolate milk. 

[MadDog2020]

http://chumam.streamon.fm/listen-pl-15213?smc=87   Dreger this morning on TSN 1050 in Toronto. Go to the 4:48 mark.

Edited May 14, 2019 by MadDog2020

[glenwo2]

1 minute ago, MadDog2020 said:

http://chumam.streamon.fm/listen-pl-15213?smc=87   Go to the 4:48 mark.

No surprise here.

[Lateralous]

I pretty much trusted Shero and didn’t really have a preference between Patrick and Hischier at the time.   I don’t have a great explanation why this time it’s different but I really want the devils to take Hughes.   The skill package just seems to insane not to take.  

[MadDog2020]

26 minutes ago, MB3 said:

I believe strongly that Kappo Kakko will be better in 2019. Maybe even in 2020. 

But Jack Hughes is almost definitely going to be the better player over his career. 

Yep. And that’s why you take Hughes and don’t look back.