But both have had trouble finding ways to consistently impact the game. They're the youngest players in the league, and so far, it has really shown.īoth of them are still exceptional talents with bright futures.

Hughes is still just 18, and Kakko just turned 19 two weeks ago. Meanwhile, Kakko is only the fourth Finn to transition directly from Liiga, Finland's top pro league, to the NHL by age 18, joining Aleksander Barkov, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Patrik Laine. Most players from that program go through at least a year of junior or college hockey before reaching the NHL. National Team Development Program to the NHL. For one, Hughes is the first player to go straight from the U.S. There are a couple of ways to look at that. If there's panic, pump the brakes a little. It's easy to forget now, but Thornton had just seven points in 55 games as an 18-year-old rookie with the Boston Bruins before going on to a career that will land him in the Hockey Hall of Fame after retirement. 1 overall forwards actually rank below Hughes - Vincent Lecavalier, Owen Nolan and Joe Thornton, who ranks 70th on this list. While that is certainly not ideal, it's far from unprecedented. Hughes and Kakko rank 50th and 54th, respectively, in points per game in that same group. The most recent first overall pick to have so few points in his first season is Nail Yakupov, who finished with 31 during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign.Īccording to Hockey Reference data, 71 18-year-olds have appeared in at least 50 games in their rookie seasons in NHL history. If you extrapolate that out to 82-game rates, Hughes is on pace for 31 points and Kakko 27.

Hughes has 21 points through 56 games, while Kakko has managed 20 points in 60 games.

Yet as we hit the final month of the 2019-20 regular season, there's not a whole lot of attention on either player, and that's also with good reason. Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko were the two new stars of the biggest media market in the world, so it was only natural they were going to get most of the attention. The rookie hype this preseason rightfully surrounded the top two picks of the most recent NHL draft. NHL, New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Colorado Avalanche, Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets NHL rookie rankings: Rays of hope in rough first seasons for Kaapo Kakko, Jack Hughes You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser

Rays of hope 2019