The Devils-Rangers rivalry is going to be fun for years to come

The New Jersey Devils have won the 2019 Draft Lottery, but the New York Rangers got the second overall pick, setting up a Jack Hughes vs. Kaapo Kakko debate for years to come.

On the eve of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the New Jersey Devils have won the annual NHL Draft Lottery, awarding them with the first overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

The Devils entered the day with the third best odds of winning the Draft Lottery at 11.5%, and will pick first overall for the second time in the last three seasons. The Devils picked first overall in 2017, selecting center Nico Hischier, and carried that momentum all the way to their first playoff appearance since 2012.

Alongside the Devils, the New York Rangers moved up from seventh to the second overall pick, and the Chicago Blackhawks jumped all the way from the 12th to 3rd overall pick. The Colorado Avalanche fell from first to fourth overall, though they likely don’t mind much considering they have the playoffs to focus on, and the Los Angeles Kings fell from second to fifth overall.

“This is a huge part of getting more talent, obviously,” New Jersey general manager Ray Shero told NBCSN. “This is a huge day for the Devils. Two years ago, picking Nico really was transformational for us, and it’s a great day for our fans as well.”

The Devils could use the first overall pick to draft either USA’s Jack Hughes or Finland’s Kaapo Kakko, both of whom look to be potential franchise building blocks for a young team like the Devils.

Jack Hughes is the consensus No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting’s list of draft prospects, and leads the National Team Development Program with 86 points (23 goals, 63 assists) in 41 games. The soon to be 18-year-old holds NTDP records for assists (139) and points (202) in 101 games over two seasons, surpassing the likes of Patrick Kane, Auston Matthews, Phil Kessel and Clayton Keller before him.

“Jack is an elite skater who plays the game at top speed both with and without the puck, he sees the ice tremendously well and finds open space to create scoring chances,” said Dan Marr, director of NHL Central Scouting. “He has a complete package of skills that suggest he will be a franchise NHL player and game-changer.”

17-year-old Finnish winger Kaapo Kakko is the only threat to Hughes to unseat him as the first overall pick, displaying his own dynamic offensive talent. Kakko scored 22 goals for TPS Turku this past season, surpassing Aleksander Barkov as the highest-scoring under 18 player in Liiga history.

“Kakko has excellent offensive instincts, is dangerous around the net and also a good passer and playmaker,” said Goran Stubb, NHL director of European Scouting. “He could be NHL-ready as early as next season after playing two seasons in a men’s league.”

However, whoever the Devils don’t pick will likely be heading right down the road, and right into the hands of their good friends, the New York Rangers. The Rangers have been in the midst of a rebuild ever since the 2018 NHL Trade Deadline, and have finally been rewarded for their efforts with the second overall pick and a chance to acquire a real star in either Hughes or Kakko, depending on who the Devils pick.

The Devils and Rangers are natural rivals based on location, but have plenty of history to back it up. The two have met six times in playoffs, with the Rangers winning four of those matchups, most notably in 1994 on the way to the Stanley Cup. Without a playoff matchup or really any meaningful matchups since 2012, the Hudson River Rivalry has dried up a bit, even going as far as the two completing their first trade last trade deadline.

This years draft lottery ensured that their dormant rivalry would be awakened once again. No matter who the Devils pick and the Rangers take after that, the debate over Hughes and Kakko will rage on long after the draft has finished between these two old rivals. Both sides are just one young piece away from finishing their rebuilds, and maybe this could mark the beginning of a storied rivalry between two rivals with the first and second overall picks.

So, the New Jersey Devils are on the clock with the first overall pick, and they must choose wisely, because they will never hear the end if they don’t and let the Rangers get the better player. If both Hughes and Kakko live up to their potential and turn their franchises around, the Hudson River Rivalry may very well become one of the premier rivalries in the NHL, and rekindle the hatred these two teams had for each other at one point.

The NHL Entry Draft will take place on June 21st and 22nd at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada.