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You're saying a lot, but all I'm really getting from it is "I'm not big on Hughes." (Which is fine.) Hughes appears to be the most purely talented player in this draft class. Hughes appears to have the highest ceiling and quite possibly the highest floor. Hughes appears to be the safest bet for a gamechanging talent. There are question marks about him, but there are question marks about everyone. You think Cozens might be the next Barkov? Well, my assessment of him is he's lacking in truly high-end hockey sense, his stats are inflated by the fact that he's bigger and faster than most of his peers, and he's probably a winger at the NHL level. I could go down the list of all the top names. This "It's safer betting on Cozens becoming Barkov than on Hughes becoming Kane or McDavid" angle strikes me as strawmanning sophistry. The Wings are in desperate need of a truly special player and most people believe Hughes is the most special player in this draft class -- and people aren't just basing this on superficial stylistic similarities to top NHLers. I think this is fair and compelling (and it largely lines up with my own first-hand impressions): http://www.sportingnews.com/us/nhl/news/jack-hughes-nhl-draft-2019-world-junior-championship/nt8oxhtf6zns11k4dlrwokofu If it's a matter of wanting two cracks at a top talent instead of one (e.g. Kakko + Newhook versus just Hughes), suppose we pick first overall and take Hughes with that pick AND find a way to trade up into the mid-1st round. So, we'd be getting Hughes and possibly a guy like Newhook. That would be pretty incredible, no?

Kuznetsov did that as a 23 year old. Larkin is still only 22, and playing with lesser linemates in my opinion. I guess I misunderstood. I agree that we need a center *almost* as good as Larkin, as our 2C. I just disagree that we need a center to displace Larkin as our 1C. If Larkin can develop into a point per game center, and Veleno can develop into a just under a point per game center, I think we're in good shape going forward. I think most would agree that Larkin could get there, I guess it just depends on if you think Veleno can. I think he can. We shall see...

REEEEEEEEEEEEEE

https://www.tsn.ca/duchene-tops-tsn-s-trade-bait-board-1.1242403 Nyquist and Howard sit 8th and 9th on TSN's trade list board. Kronwall is 38th.

OR we take Hughes AND Newhook (with the pick from the Nyquist trade) when he drops all the way to the end of the 1st, ala Veleno...

No reason not to set the ask high at this point in time. It's standard procedure for negotiations: one side aims too high, the other side lowballs, and eventually they find an agreeable middle ground, which happens to be what both parties were anticipating from the start. Ironically, you only get that middle ground if each side digs in its heels and fights. Ask for a 1st and a high-end prospect for Nyquist, ultimately settle on a more modest return.

I didn't see Abdelkader mentioned in that article. My guess is his contract is so bad that no team wants to touch it.

I dunno, I don't see any of those pieces going HAM on the "McDavid Jr." narrative. I think the actual buzzgasm that people are stoking is that he's arguably the best prospect to come out of the USNTDP. So, basically, that he could be someone on the level of Kane or Matthews. And while that might sound ridiculous on its face, it's definitely a case that can be made in good faith. I still don't find your hypotheticals about non-Hughes players being more likely to hit certain hypothetical ceilings to be very compelling. I get that you don't like the hype machine (I'm not overly fond of it either), but when you go on about how Kakko could become Kopitar and Cozens could become Barkov, you're basically indulging in the very same thing you're knocking. At the end of the day, it's all "This player could become this player," and very little of it is decidedly scientific. If you think Cozens is more likely to become Barkov than Hughes-->Kane, ok. But, personally, that doesn't really convince me of anything and it doesn't change my personal rankings one bit. Hughes is still my #1; I think he has the highest ceiling, I think he's the most purely talented player, and I think his floor is very high. I'm amused by the small minority of people who unironically worship at his altar and I'm equally amused by the small minority of people who go out of their way to knock him.

I think people are seriously selling Larkin short if you don't think he is / will be a capable 1C. He's already on pace for a 70+ point season as a 22 year old, with bad to mediocre wingers. I think Larkin could easily be a 90+ point center, given two quality wingers, over the next couple years. I don't think Kuznetsov is close to a point per game center without the best goal scorer ever on his wing. Give Larkin a winger half as good as Ovi, and I'd bet on his point totals being at or above Kuznetsov. Veleno is still an unknown at this point, but I feel more comfortable with Larkin / Veleno as our future top two centers than I do any other position right now. Adding a couple elite scoring wingers is more important right now in my opinion. Hopefully Zadina can be one, and maybe whoever we draft in the first round this year.

That will probably help our quest for Hughes at least. I still want a Hronek sweater.

And this is what pi$$e$ me off with Blash...He has that wonderful 'habit' of sticking turds masquerading as NHL'ers on our top lines instead of giving guys like lil'Bert consistent top 6 minutes.

Ber-tu-zzi? No. Ber-three-zzi.