Kaapo Kakko started the IIHF Men’s World Championships with a statement.

He scored two goals in his opening game, then a hat trick in his second. Despite going scoreless in Finland’s third contest against the United States, his five goals through three games were tied for the tournament lead with Pittsburgh Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist of Sweden.

Considering Kakko is an 18-year-old still waiting to hear his name called at the 2019 NHL Draft, that’s mighty impressive.

There’s a reason Kakko is considered one of the top two prospects in the draft, along with American Jack Hughes. There’s a reason he could potentially go ahead of Hughes to the Devils with the No. 1 pick, despite Hughes being considered the long-time consensus top prospect.

That reason isn’t, and won’t be, Kakko’s performance at the World Championships.

For fans watching and following on social media, this is the first real glimpse at Kakko, outside of the World Junior Championships this past winter. But considering the Devils and Rangers moved up to the top two picks at the draft lottery in April, this is the first time those two fanbases could realistically watch the two, knowing one was coming to their team.

But management and scouts from both the Devils and Rangers didn’t start watching Kakko and Hughes in April. They started two years ago, and possibly earlier.

So in the grand scheme of things, watching Kakko score five goals in three games is just a blip of information added to the long books both scouting departments have on the Finnish phenom.

Hughes’ record-breaking performance at the U18 World Championships in April after the Devils won the draft lottery follows the same logic. Just like Kakko, that performance wasn’t going to have a swaying impact on how the Devils and Rangers viewed him.

Hughes was already the U.S. National Development Program’s all-time leading scorer before April, and that tournament was just the finale to his incredible U18 career.

Kakko’s World Championship start falls into the same category. Scouts are going to put most of their evaluation of Kakko on his play in Finland’s pro men’s league during the 2018-19 season, where he set a record for most goals by a U18 player with 22.

And for anyone comparing Hughes’ four pointless games at the World Championships against Kakko’s five goals, the two are playing in drastically different situations.

Hughes is the third-line center on a team filled with NHL players, and he’s getting 12 or 13 minutes per game as a result. Kakko is part of a Finland forward group that features zero NHL players, so he’s high minutes in a top-line and top power-play role. Production comes with opportunity.

Regardless of how Hughes and Kakko end their World Championships, the Devils won’t base their decision on a 10-or-so-game stretch in a May tournament. They’re going to base it on everything they’ve seen from both players over the past two years, and they’re going to take the player — Hughes or Kakko — they feel gives them the best chance to transform their franchise.

Chris Ryan may be reached at cryan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com Devils on Facebook.