It is now as it was four months ago — Jack versus Kakko, and Kakko versus Jack.

But finally the debate will be played out on the ice, as top-overall pick Jack Hughes suits up for the free-falling Devils as they play host to second-overall pick Kaapo Kakko and his nascent Rangers in Newark on Thursday night.

Through all the hype in the lead-up to June’s draft then the subsequent talks of a decade-long resurrection of the Hudson River Rivalry, the first incarnation is here.

“[Kakko] is 18 years old, I’m sure him and Hughes have had their eye on each other for a long time,” Rangers coach David Quinn said after Wednesday’s practice in Tarrytown. “I’m sure if you put them under truth serum, they’re both excited to face each other. But both teams are looking for a win, and hopefully that’s way more important than any individual matchup. I’m pretty sure it is.”

The Rangers have had a bizarre schedule to start their season, with Thursday being just their fourth game since opening night back on Oct. 3. They won their first two — albeit in rather sloppy fashion — then suffered their first loss Saturday, 4-1 to the visiting Oilers.

But Kakko managed to get his first goal in that game, the elation just pouring from his fresh Finnish face. But having been followed by four days off, the focus is more about just getting back to playing another game rather than the individual matchup against Hughes.

“Of course I’m excited to play again after four days off, but it’s not like me against Jack Hughes,” Kakko said, after once again staying on the practice ice well after his teammates had showered and gone home. “It’s the Devils against Rangers.”

Speaking of the Devils, they are winless (0-4-2) to open the season, having blown big leads numerous times. Hughes is yet to record a point in those six games, hitting both posts to miss an open net then slamming his stick in frustration, during the 6-4 loss to the Panthers on Monday.

With coach John Hynes squarely on the hot seat, it was decided assistant general manager Tom Fitzgerald would come down to the bench to help Hynes, starting Thursday. General manager Ray Shero did the same thing with Fitzgerald when the two were in Pittsburgh during the 2008-09 season — which happened to lead to Stanley Cup victory.

But this Devils team is not the equivalent, even as much as they would like to see Hughes develop into the star that made him the top pick. It’s a talent even Kakko has noticed, despite not watching much (if any) of the Devils this season.

“He’s a great player,” Kakko said, “but I didn’t watch his games so much.”

The fact is that these are two very young players on two young teams, both of which have a lot of growing to do. Hughes seems mired in the funk of his team, while the hope for Kakko is that he can build off his first goal.

“He’s pretty stoic, so you don’t see a lot of emotion out of him,” Quinn said. “Obviously, during the [goal] and shortly after, he was excited, as he should be. I’m sure it was a big relief for him that he got that out of the way. And he’ll continue to build off that.”

But now the building comes with a slightly greater spotlight, and a matchup that many have been waiting to see go down at the NHL level. Even if a lot has transpired since that draft day that indelibly linked these two together — and even if the Rangers haven’t played much during that time — the day for Jack versus Kakko is finally here.

“Right now, I’m just excited to play a hockey game,” Quinn said. “It adds a little bit that it’s a divisional opponent, and it’s the Devils. So that amps up the excitement a little bit more.”