2019 NHL Mock Draft: Do New Jersey Devils go with Kaapo Kakko?

There’s a huge shakeup at the top of our second 2019 NHL Mock Draft. Has Kaapo Kakko has unseated Jack Hughes at the top for the New Jersey Devils?

The 2019 NHL Draft is nearly here. You know what that means – it’s time for a 2019 NHL Mock Draft. Obviously, we can’t know which teams are drafting where quite yet, but it doesn’t mean we can’t speculate.

This draft should be one of the deepest in years. From about three to 15, there’s not much of a dropoff. That’s a testament to how deep this draft is. Though this draft will likely best be known for its forwards, don’t sleep on the defensemen either.

In this mock draft, there were quite a few shakeups. Let’s take a look at how we think the 2019 NHL Draft will go in our latest mock draft. For those picks that have not yet been decided, the draft pick will be determined by regular season records. The Hurricanes pick will be at 28th, the Sharks 29th, the Blues 30th, and the Bruins 31st.

Stats are courtesy of EliteProspects, Quant Hockey (for select international players), and Prospect Stats (for North American players).

Let’s be honest – there has to be a discussion about Jack Hughes versus Kaapo Kakko. It’s a heck of a lot closer than people think. You can’t ignore what Kakko has done against grown men. Personally, I’ve never seen a pre-draft teenager look like a man amongst boys while playing professionally like he did.

That said, the right pick here is Hughes. The Devils need a franchise center. Nico Hischier is blossoming into a quietly great two-way center. He was thrown to the wolves defensively thanks to all the Devils injuries last season. Yet Hischier still managed to come out in the green in most possession metrics.

A lot of people compare Hughes to Connor McDavid. I’d say that’s wrong, it’s negligent to compare anyone to him. However, Hughes is a lot like Mathew Barzal. His work in transition is eye-popping. Hughes operates in the neutral zone like a Ferrari.

I have questions about Hughes’ defense, but honestly, the Devils already have Hischier. They’d make a mighty fine pick here if they go with Kakko. Really, they can’t go wrong either way. But I’d go with Hughes, giving him the much smaller nod than I anticipated I’d be giving him a few months ago.