Eichel and Fantilli really aren’t that comparable in my opinion. Completely different players. Fantilli has more upside as a first line two-way forward while Eichel was a dynamic offensive force on a much worse team. If we are going to compare, I actually think Eichel’s freshman season was better.
Eichel hasn’t lived up to his potential for multiple reasons in the NHL. But, if we are just considering both players’ draft season, I’m picking Eichel without much hesitation. His offensive dominance was simply incredible in college. While Fantilli could undoubtedly be the better player, Eichel just showed way more dynamic offensive ability and game breaking talent. Jack Eichel should’ve been one of the best players in the world. Injuries and attitude have prevented that at this point.
I just don’t see a player who is going to be a top 3-5 player in the NHL in Fantilli as I saw with Eichel in his draft year.