Eichel focused on Sabres, not McDavid
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Sometimes, like when Matt Moulson is making a ’90s movie reference that flies over his roommates’ heads, it’s easy to forget just how young Jack Eichel is.
Still three weeks away from his 19th birthday and years away from needing to buy a razor, Eichel was only eight when Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin broke into the NHL in 2005. At the time, the third-grader from North Chelmsford, Mass., thought it was awesome.
Not only were the teenage phenoms the poster boys for a younger, faster and more exciting brand of hockey in the postlockout era, but they also had wildly different personalities.
Sid the Kid was a vanilla, go-about-his-business star from Canada. The gap-toothed Ovie was Russian and as colourful as a cartoon character.
For Eichel, who sometimes would be “dreaming one day of playing on Crosby’s wing,” it made for a fun rivalry.
“I remember watching Ovechkin and Crosby come into the league and it was like, you know, it’s Sidney Crosby, it was his show,” said Eichel. “And Ovechkin comes in and you’re like, ‘Who is this guy?’ And he scores 50 goals in his rookie year. I remember those two. It was an exciting year for the NHL.”
In other words, Eichel knows what could be in store for himself and Connor McDavid.
The top two picks in this year’s NHL Draft — McDavid went first overall to the Edmonton Oilers, Eichel was picked second by the Buffalo Sabres — made their NHL debuts Thursday night. And while their respective teams were not playing each other, it still is the first of many opportunities for fans to compare the two.
“There’s a lot of guys playing tonight in the NHL, so he’s another one of them and I’m another one of them,” Eichel said prior to Thursday’s game against the Ottawa Senators. “I think of the position of playing in the league, you don’t really think as much like that. I don’t look at it as a head-to-head matchup between me and Connor in any way. My biggest thing right now is helping the Buffalo Sabres win hockey games.”
This is nothing new for the two rookies. It does not matter how banal the competition is — Eichel made headlines in June after performing three more pull-ups than McDavid at the NHL Draft Combine — the two have been compared and contrasted to no end over their amateur careers.
Now that they’re in the NHL, it’s only going to intensify — and that might not be a bad thing.
Though the Sabres lost 3-1 to the Ottawa Senators, the Sabres rookie gave fans something to cheer about by scoring his first career goal midway through the third period on the power play. Taking a pass at the side of the net, Eichel went top shelf and celebrated in style. Moments later, he almost scored again when he deked around reigning Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson on a one-on-one.
McDavid, meanwhile, had two shots but no points in a 3-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues.
Rivalries, whether friendly or heated, can bring out the best in players. As rookies, Ovechkin and Crosby were neck-and-neck in scoring, with Ovechkin finishing with 106 points to Crosby’s 102. Since then, they have continued pushing each other to become the best in the league.
“I think it’s a good competitiveness,” said Sabres centre Ryan O’Reilly. “It’s great to have that rivalry. It’s great for the game. And it’s good for him. It’s two guys who are pushing each other. It’s going to help them grow.”
For now, scouts believe McDavid has the edge in stickhandling, but Eichel might have the better shot. McDavid is the slicker skater, while Eichel has a more powerful stride.
When it comes to predicting who will finish with more goals, points or win the Calder Trophy — Eichel had two goals and six points in four pre-season games, while McDavid had five assists in five games — you might as well flip a coin.
“It’s a toss-up,” said Los Angeles’ Anze Kopitar.
“I think that Eichel in Buffalo will win it,” said Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson.
“McDavid I guess,” said Minnesota’s Ryan Suter. “He’s in Edmonton and he’ll probably have a pretty solid year. They have a lot of skill up there. And then Eichel in Buffalo. It will be interesting to watch, that’s for sure.”