Connor McDavid vs Jack Eichel

[puckfan13]

I will just say Eichel is not slow at all, he makes plays and walks around college guys in NTDP's exhibition games. His skating is just fine - he is a great player. Not saying I'd take one over the other at this point but that is not a flaw of his IMO.

 

[Billybaroo*]

Wow is that ever not what I said. Canadians are getting so overly defensive.

Im not Canadian.
And Im curious. If someone is signifigantly better than Kessel (which is laughable in the extreme) , where do they fall on the continuim?
Funny.
X2

 

[LeMAD]

Theres the goal! Eichel is not even in the same league as McDavid as far as ive seen

Eichel has been better so far actually.

 

[Horvath Broncos]

i hope both Eichel and McDavid reach their potential and end up in Edmonton and Calgary or something like that. they would be new Ovechkin vs. Crosby...

 

[Future]

Every tournament they play in, McDavid has shown how he is significantly better and on a whole other level. See their U17 and U18 performances. McDavid has also been one of Canada's best players so far including the pre tourney games where he was probably the best.

Hockey hipsters continue to look for someone not mainstream to root for the number 1 pick.

 

[cagney]

Every tournament they play in, McDavid has shown how he is significantly better and on a whole other level. See their U17 and U18 performances. McDavid has also been one of Canada's best players so far including the pre tourney games where he was probably the best.

A lot of people are referencing the U17s as a tournament where McDavid was clearly better than Eichel but how many watched the tournament? In the game they played head to head both were spectacular. Eichel only played in two complete games as he was injured early in the third game against Quebec and didn't play the rest of the tournament despite being credited with additional games played.

McDavid clearly had a far better U18s so no argument there. Thus far in the U20s this year both have been very good for their age.

Overall, I'd agree that McDavid is ahead at this point and could very well remain that way to draft day and beyond but there are too many people in this thread who don't have a valid basis for their opinions one way or the other.

 

[Alberta tough]

I do not know who will be better but Eichel has improved a ton from when I saw him last year.

 

[Loffer]

Meat and potatoes. Apples and oranges.

Other one is big, other one is not.

Other one is explosive, other one is not.

Other one plays cerebral game, other one doesn't.

Other one dazzles with speed and agility, other one doesn't.

Other one is physically imposing, other one is not.
--------------------------------------------------------------
These two could hardly be more different type of players.

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

When kids are that age, so much can change in 18 months. Let's wait and see.

 

[Juxtaposer]

A lot of people are referencing the U17s as a tournament where McDavid was clearly better than Eichel but how many watched the tournament? In the game they played head to head both were spectacular. Eichel only played in two complete games as he was injured early in the third game against Quebec and didn't play the rest of the tournament despite being credited with additional games played.

McDavid clearly had a far better U18s so no argument there. Thus far in the U20s this year both have been very good for their age.

Overall, I'd agree that McDavid is ahead at this point and could very well remain that way to draft day and beyond but there are too many people in this thread who don't have a valid basis for their opinions one way or the other.

Seriously. I watched the U17 tourney last year for McDavid, I hadn't ever heard of Eichel. But in that game, he matched McDavid stride for stride, shot for shot, scoring chance for scoring chance. He was literally just as good as McDavid during that game.

I'm not saying Eichel's better, but he can skate with McDavid.

 

[arsmaster*]

When kids are that age, so much can change in 18 months. Let's wait and see.

This.

Mcdavid looks like a preteen. Eichel looks like he's quite advanced physically.

Hard to judge when one guy has that physical advantage.

 

[UsernameWasTaken]

Every tournament they play in, McDavid has shown how he is significantly better and on a whole other level. See their U17 and U18 performances. McDavid has also been one of Canada's best players so far including the pre tourney games where he was probably the best.

Hockey hipsters continue to look for someone not mainstream to root for the number 1 pick.

That's not true.

I agree that McDavid is the better player - but if you're just looking at tournament play, the only one where he's been "significantly better" is U18.

He hasn't been "significantly better" at U20 and re U17 wasn't Eichel injured for most of it?

 

[Loffer]

That's not true.

I agree that McDavid is the better player - but if you're just looking at tournament play, the only one where he's been "significantly better" is U18.

He hasn't been "significantly better" at U20 and re U17 wasn't Eichel injured for most of it?

This makes me wonder why Eichel was such a non-factor at U18. Was he injured?

 

[bigdog16]

I am excited to watch these two grow into NHL stars. When i watch Eichel he has a very awkward but effective skating style, plays alot like Anze Kopitar but alot faster. I honestly think these two have the potential to be the next Crosby vs Ovechkin, but just imagine in 10 years its going to be Mcdavid vs Eichel vs Mackinnon vs Drouin vs plenty of other. Ton of top end talent is about to take over the league

 

[Sticks and Pucks]

For some reason, Eichel reminds me of Grigorenko at 17.

 

[Loffer]

Yes, his skating style is really really strange. I don't know if it's "awkward" or just strange. I would think some long distance speed skaters skate like that; long powerful strides and glides and arms swinging like that. Strange... Guess you can skate like that as a hockey player too. I dunno any other hockey player whose skating would be even remotely close to that. Unique style.

 

[The Sweetness]

Two things I find impressive with Eichel's skating is he doesn't seem to be caught from behind and he can use his speed to go around guys on the outside as well as nearly anyone in the tourney when he actually wants to. For a double underager his skating is very impressive imo even if he prefers to use his vision, shot and stick handling as first options.

McDavid seems to prefer to play an up tempo game and rely a bit more on his exceptional skating and speed of hands and feet even if he has great vision as well.

Having two double underagers play this well is pretty unique.

 

[ReginKarlssonLehner]

Eichel has been extremely impressive, outplayed McDavid last game for sure.

Though I believe McDavid will be better player.

McDavid is just silky smooth, it's ridiculous he's only 16. Man I feel so old.

 

[KuemperTantrum]

come on people, this is ridiculous.

Except it's 100% true. I was born in May of 94, and I have a really close family friend born on December 31st of 93.. He graduated a year before me while only being 5 months older, that sucked.

 

[canuck2010]

I posted earlier that Eichel reminded me of Kessel. I wasn't sure about McDavid but I think I see Datsyuk written all over him.

 

[Fonzieleaf]

As of right now my opinion is still McDavid. Nonetheless, Eichel still has tons of potential and could very well be the number 2 pick in the draft. To be honest, this should be a poll question. I'm curious to see how many people would prefer Eichel over McDavid.

 

[Xokkeu]

For some reason, Eichel reminds me of Grigorenko at 17.

That could either be a good thing or a bad thing.

 

[Xokkeu]

I posted earlier that Eichel reminded me of Kessel. I wasn't sure about McDavid but I think I see Datsyuk written all over him.

I'm not seeing it. Eichel is a bad bodied skilled center who works well in tight, distributes and protects the puck well.

Kessel is a burner, with speed to spare and a very good shot.

 

[bigdog16]

If anything Mcdavid plays more like Kessel than Eichel does. My NHL playing style comparisons for these two are Mcdavid- Crosby/Datsyuk/Couture and Eichel- Kopitar/Joe Thorton

 

[Juxtaposer]

Eichel is nothing like Kessel. A faster Getzlaf would be a better comp.