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New Jersey Devils select Jack Hughes with 1st overall pick

June 21, 2019, 8:19 PM ET [60 Comments]
Todd Cordell
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Jack Hughes is officially a member of the New Jersey Devils.

There was a lot of debate about whether Hughes would still go 1st overall after what transpired at the World Hockey Championships. Kaapo Kakko scored a few goals and won a gold medal. Jack Hughes did not.

The resulting perception was that Kaapo Kakko's performance blew the doors off Hughes', even though the underlying numbers don't exactly paint the same picture. Far from it.

The Devils realized as much, or simply elected not to let recency bias get in the way.

Whatever the case, I think they ultimately made the right decision.

Hughes is a high-end skater with dynamic puck skills and the ability to create offense every time the puck touches his stick. He's not only capable of making things happen in the offensive zone, but consistently driving play up ice and ensuring the puck gets there safely.

He has a higher ceiling than Kakko and his presence within the organization gives the Devils two potentially elite U20 centers to build around for the foreseeable future.

A new era of Devils hockey is about to begin, and it's going to be much better than the last. Get excited and hold on tight. It's going to be a fun ride.

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