One of the big stories heading into the NHL season was the battle between Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko. The #1 and #2 overall picks respectively are two very different players, and after a summer of debate on which should be first overall, the two promising prospects found themselves as Metropolitan Division rivals as members of the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils.
Unfortunately for the Rangers, the Devils, and curious fans everywhere, the two have both gotten off to a very disappointing start. With Kakko through 7 games, and Hughes through 8, the two each only have one goal and one assist.
Maybe it’s not the battle we were all hoping for, and it’s certainly not what Kakko wanted at this point in the season. After explaining to a Finnish media outlet that hockey isn’t very much fun for him at the moment, he doubled down by further opening up about his issues so far this season.
The following is an excerpt from the New York Post:
“We’re not playing good right now as a team, and I’m not playing good,” said Kakko.
When asked what needed to be improved on, he didn’t hold back: “Everything,” he replied. “I’m playing bad hockey.”
Not the kind of interview you wanted to be hearing out of the Finnish standout, but it’s nice to see that he’s willing to own up to it. Sometimes it’s easier to confront problems if you stare them down head on.
“My goal is to have a leading role,” he explained. “I don’t want to hear any talk about how I’m the youngest guy and I need to be given time to get used to the style. I want to be the guy who scores goals and wins games right away.”
(H/T New York Post)
