Jack Hughes out for U.S. against Kakko, Finland at World Juniors

VICTORIA, British Columbia -- Center Jack Hughes will miss his third straight game with an undisclosed injury when the United States plays Finland at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre on Monday (10:30 p.m. ET; NHLN, TSN).

It is the final preliminary-round game for each team. The United States (2-0-1-0) is currently in second place in Group B with seven points, Finland (2-0-0-1) is third with six points.
Hughes' absence will put the spotlight on Finland forward Kaapo Kakko, the only other player on either active roster with an A-rating in NHL Central Scouting's Players to Watch list for the 2019 NHL Draft.
Despite missing his third straight game, Hughes (5-foot-10, 168 pounds) remains the projected No. 1 pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. He had one assist in a 2-1 win against Slovakia in the tournament opener.
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Kakko (6-2, 194) is a potential top-5 selection who has been gaining momentum this tournament with three points (one goal, two assists) and a team-leading 16 shots on goal in three games.
"Both these young men can make the plays when needed and are capable of being difference-makers for their teams," said Dan Marr, director of NHL Central Scouting. "In recent years, the world juniors has been a tournament where draft-eligible prospects have been able to put their talents and abilities on display, but it's still a tournament for 19-year-olds. That only highlights how special these two 17-year-old prospects really are."
Three years ago, Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs) of the United States and Patrik Laine (Winnipeg Jets) of Finland were each an A-rated skater entering the 2016 WJC in Russia before being selected Nos. 1-2, respectively, in the 2016 NHL Draft.
"A lot of guys use the tournament as a good statement if they're in their draft year to kind of make a good impression on scouts and NHL general managers," Matthews said. "It's a fun tournament to be part of, but there's definitely a lot of pressure and hype going into it being in the position that some of these guys are in."
At the time of the 2016 WJC, Laine, like Kakko, was considered a top-5 pick in the NHL Draft. That year, he helped Finland win the gold medal with 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in seven games.
"I think I did a pretty good job for myself to kind of show everybody that I could be in the competition for No. 1 (in the NHL Draft) as well," Laine said.
"[Kakko is] a [heck] of a player. I skated and work out with him over the summer and know him a little bit. My advice would be to just have fun and not worry about competition. When you work hard and play well everybody will see how good you are. If you're better than somebody, people will notice. When the team wins, everyone sees the stars."
Matthews helped the United States win bronze with 11 points (seven goals, four assists) in seven games.
"It's not the end of the world if someone has more points than you," Matthews said. "That's not really how I looked at it. You want to do your best but after that, I wanted to have a good rest of the season because the world junior tournament is really only the halfway point.
"Focus on your game, focus on your team, and don't get too worried about all the rankings and reports. The media likes to play it out and turn things into big rivalries but, in the end, do what you can to help the team be better by being the best you can be."
The U.S.-Finland winner will secure at least second place in Group B. The United States (2-0-1-0) has seven points and Finland (2-0-0-1) has six points. Sweden (2-1-0-0), which defeated the United States 5-4 in overtime on Saturday, leads Group B with eight points.
"There's been a lot of talk, it's going to be a great game," Kakko said through an interpreter. "I just want to play like I can play and do things to help the team."
Finland assistant coach Tuomo Ruutu said, "I think [games like this] just drive him to play better. It doesn't really bother him. He plays his best when the pressure is on and I think he'll play well."
Craig Button, TSN resident director of scouting and former NHL general manager said Hughes and Kakko are aware of each other, which makes for good competition.
"They'll want to emerge from this game knowing, first, that they helped their team win, and second, that they were better than their counterpart," Button said. "That's the competitive fire in these guys.
"It isn't the end-all be-all, but if you can show and acquit yourself well in a tournament such as the world juniors, absolutely it helps you. As a scout, you want to see a player do the things you believe he can do so that you build your confidence in him. Confidence ultimately leads to, 'We want that guy,' and then, 'Let's select that guy.'
"What Laine did was very significant because it just enhanced that confidence in your own assessment."
Marr sees a bright future for each player regardless of how they play Monday.
"In Hughes, you get the highly-skilled, offensively talented center who plays the game with speed, quickness, elite hockey sense and an ability to execute at top speed while making those around him better," Marr said. "Kakko is the bigger power forward who plays effectively either at center or his off-wing (as a left-handed right wing) where he showcases his strong playmaking ability. His hockey sense and skills, when combined with his size and strength, allow him to be an impact player in all situations."
Kakko and Hughes last faced at the 2018 World Under-18 Championship in Russia on April 29. In that game, Kakko had a goal in a 3-2 victory in the gold-medal game. Hughes did not have a point on four shots but did finish the tournament as the leading scorer with 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in seven games. Kakko was tied for third with 10 points (four goals, six assists) in seven games.
"I feel if I do what I should be doing, I don't think I'll need to worry about anyone else," Hughes said. "I'm sure he's a great player, and I've played against him before, but I'm not too worried about anyone else."
Hughes has 48 points (10 goals, 38 assists) and a plus-14 rating in 25 games for USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 team. He ranked first in shots on goal (114) and second in game-winning goals (three) at the time he left for U.S. selection camp.
He had 116 points (40 goals, 76 assists) for the U-17/U-18 NTDP teams last season, one point shy of tying Matthews for the single season record set in 2014-15.
Kakko has 20 points (nine goals, 11 assists) and a plus-2 rating in 27 games for TPS in Liiga. The youngest player on the team, at the time leaving for Finland selection camp he ranked first in game-winning goals (four) and shots on goal (127), and fourth in average ice time (17:40).
United States defenseman Quinn Hughes, who was selected with the No. 7 pick by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2018 NHL Draft, doesn't believe his younger brother needs to do anything extraordinary to make a statement.
"I hear [Kakko] is a great player, and I'm sure he's going to be a big part of their team, but Jack just needs to worry about his game," said Quinn Hughes, who has two assists in three games. "At this point in his career, he's mature enough to realize he just needs to worry about USA Hockey and helping us win. The better he plays, the better our team will be because we're going to rely on him big time."
NHL.com staff writer Dave McCarthy, and NHL.com correspondent Scott Billeck contributed to this story.