C Jack Eichel (2015, 2nd, BUF) IV

[Beerz]

9.0b

Sure. Whatever. Like I said.. I pay no mind to HF Grades... they're gimmicky.

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

Let people think what they want, there isn't actually that much grief involved in being wrong. Plus, if you're right, than you'll feel even more gratified.

That's fair but the problem is, when they are wrong, they deny, deny, deny....

* I NEVER said that;
* I NEVER compared him to Mario;
* I NEVER called him a Generation Player, etc...

Believe me, I go thru this with the Usual Suspects every year come draft time. There are certain posters, who BRAG and BRAG and BRAG about their country's prospect. Those prospects NEVER live up to the expectations. NEVER!!! But, instead of learning from their mistakes, they do the EXACT same thing the next year... and the next and the next and the next.

They are like Economist who claim, every day, the stock market is going to crash, never being right and then one day, when it does fall, they say, "See... I told you so. I was right". There has to be some accountability.

People like me are there to set the record straight because, as my dad always said, "There is nothing worse than a Know-It-All who is sometimes right".

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

But even then that sentiment is rare...and you're using the views of a few who go overboard and combat it with your own hyperbole. Pretty lame.

If only it was a few...

Anyway, I am always happy to set the record straight but I am off for the afternoon so... have back at it.

 

[Plastic Joseph]

Sure. Whatever. Like I said.. I pay no mind to HF Grades... they're gimmicky.

Gimmicky or not, I agree with the HF rating in this instance. I believe Eichel has superstar potential ala Tavares, MacKinnon, etc. but not generational or near-generational potential, just my opinion.

Even Ovechkin was only a 9.0 (9.0A albeit), but a 9 nonetheless. The only prospects who IMO have deserved to have their potential ranked above 9 are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, who were the only ones to do so.

 

[Beerz]

That's fair but the problem is, when they are wrong, they deny, deny, deny....

* I NEVER said that;
* I NEVER compared him to Mario;
* I NEVER called him a Generation Player, etc...

Believe me, I go thru this with the Usual Suspects every year come draft time. There are certain posters, who BRAG and BRAG and BRAG about their country's prospect. Those prospects NEVER live up to the expectations. NEVER!!! But, instead of learning from their mistakes, they do the EXACT same thing the next year... and the next and the next and the next.

They are like Economist who claim, every day, the stock market is going to crash, never being right and then one day, when it does fall, they say, "See... I told you so. I was right". There has to be some accountability.

People like me are there to set the record straight because, as my dad always said, "There is nothing worse than a Know-It-All who is sometimes right".

You're brave. Fighting a generalized war.

I suggest you record who says what...and use their name when bringing forth your rapture. Using "They" and "Eichel Lovers" or "Sabre Fans" or whatever isn't going to cut it.

 

[AD1066]

If only it was a few...

It is a few, a small minority. Most people have been reasonable and freely admitted McDavid is a better prospect. Even Buffalo fans. And none of them feel the need to go into threads about Canadian prospects and tear them down.

But you want a player to fail so you can go on an internet message board and give "grief" to a handful of people who dared to hype him up too much. Keep fighting the good fight, I suppose.

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

You're brave..

I know. Handsome, too. Anyway, it's not an easy job but someone has to do it.

I suggest you record who says what...and use their name when bringing forth your rapture. Using "They" and "Eichel Lovers" or "Sabre Fans" or whatever isn't going to cut it.

Believe me, they KNOW who they are. For the record, I do not mean you.

Have a nice afternoon, Beerz. I am off...

Keep fighting the good fight...

I will. You have a good afternoon too, AD.

 

[phosphene*]

The comparison to Lemieux was purely stylistically. Size, speed, and skill. That's all there is to it.

 

[Beerz]

Gimmicky or not, I agree with the HF rating in this instance. I believe Eichel has superstar potential ala Tavares, MacKinnon, etc. but not generational or near-generational potential, just my opinion.

Even Ovechkin was only a 9.0 (9.0A albeit), but a 9 nonetheless. The only prospects who IMO have deserved to have their potential ranked above 9 are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, who were the only ones to do so.

And I disagree. A player with Eichels skill and tools has the potential to be a generational player

 

[Plastic Joseph]

The comparison to Lemieux was purely stylistically. Size, speed, and skill. That's all there is to it.

I think people remember Lemieux faster than he actually was. Sure he was fast, but it wasn't his defining quality like Lafleur or Bure.

All I'm saying is that there are plenty of big, skilled, fast players in the NHL and years past that comparing Eichel to Lemieux is not the best comparison both skill wise or stylistically.

I like the Modano comparisons, Gatzlaf too. Not Mario....

 

[Plastic Joseph]

And I disagree. A player with Eichels skill and tools has the potential to be a generational player

Agree to disagree, only time will tell.

 

[cybresabre]

Anyway guys, do what you want. You're the ones who have to live with the grief if you're wrong.

If there's one thing Buffalo is good at, thankfully, it is living with grief.

 

[phosphene*]

If there's one thing Buffalo is good at, thankfully, it is living with grief.

Oh yes, the grief of having to read passive aggressive comments from people using waifu avatars.

 

[bigdog16]

I think people remember Lemieux faster than he actually was. Sure he was fast, but it wasn't his defining quality like Lafleur or Bure.

All I'm saying is that there are plenty of big, skilled, fast players in the NHL and years past that comparing Eichel to Lemieux is not the best comparison both skill wise or stylistically.

I like the Modano comparisons, Gatzlaf too. Not Mario....

Actually i disagree, stylistically Eichel plays nothing like Getzlaf. Sure they have a similar stride but beyond that theres not much there, Getzlaf plays a much heavier game. I think the way Eichel plays the game is like Mario in a sense, like i stated earlier in this thread, he wont be as good as Mario and wont put up the same numbers or even close to those numbers. But they do play the game alike stylistically. Eichel will take over games by himself, same way Mario did, Eichel wont do it nearly as consistently tho

 

[Plastic Joseph]

Actually i disagree, stylistically Eichel plays nothing like Getzlaf. Sure they have a similar stride but beyond that theres not much there, Getzlaf plays a much heavier game. I think the way Eichel plays the game is like Mario in a sense, like i stated earlier in this thread, he wont be as good as Mario and wont put up the same numbers or even close to those numbers. But they do play the game alike stylistically. Eichel will take over games by himself, same way Mario did, Eichel wont do it nearly as consistently tho

So he will take over games like the consensus most talented player of all time, just not be as consistent?

Keep dreaming

 

[FamilyGuy716]

Eichel does not play like Lemieux or Getzlaf or Modano. Watch Fedorov, that's who he reminds me of. He has the same size, speed and style. Go on Youtube and watch some Fedorov videos.

 

[Plastic Joseph]

Eichel does not play like Lemieux or Getzlaf or Modano. Watch Fedorov, that's who he reminds me of. He has the same size, speed and style. Go on Youtube and watch some Fedorov videos.

I watched Fedorov for many years, and there are definitely some similarities.

Time will tell if Eichel can match Fedorov's play on the other side of the puck.

 

[maketrades]

Gimmicky or not, I agree with the HF rating in this instance. I believe Eichel has superstar potential ala Tavares, MacKinnon, etc. but not generational or near-generational potential, just my opinion.

Even Ovechkin was only a 9.0 (9.0A albeit), but a 9 nonetheless. The only prospects who IMO have deserved to have their potential ranked above 9 are Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid, who were the only ones to do so.

I find it comical how people put MacKinnon in that category already

 

[Plastic Joseph]

I find it comical how people put MacKinnon in that category already

As a prospect, MacKinnon was a potential superstar.

That's what I was referring to.

 

[Get North]

...You're comparing an 18 year old junior player playing against 16-17 year olds to an 18 year old college player playing against entire teams of fully developed 22-23 year olds who spend much more of their off-time in the weight room and practicing systems and details. Regardless of anything else, you can't just assume things would appear the same if they switched places. I'd reserve such generalizations until I saw them play in the same league against the same level of competition. Eichel single-handedly took a BU team that was projected to be in a rebuilding year to one goaltender choke of a soft goal away from a national championship, you don't do that by "not wanting the puck enough".

I saw them play the same competition, U18s, U20s. McDavid just hunts for the puck more often than Eichel and he has a bigger desire. Tavares is also like that where he hunts for the puck and goes to the dirty areas to dig it out, Eichel is inconsistent.

Sam Reinhart basically never "hunts for the puck", but somehow he just ends up getting the puck...

It's about positioning yourself accurately as a center. Eichel's skating style just is pretty "straight" and he doesn't bury his head or go low. That combined with the fact that without the puck he is basing his game more on positioning than relentless puck hounding, makes him seem "lazy" in the eyes of those who really can't read the game. Same people say that Reinhart is invisible and overrated. They just see the obvious things on ice.

McDavid will be a lot more prone to injuries than Eichel, because of the differences in their playing styles.

Sam Reinhart is a completely different player than Eichel. Reinhart can't go into the tough areas and dig the puck out because that's not the player he is. Reinhart is a much smarter player than Eichel so he approaches the game in a different way. Don't compare me to other people, I know the game of hockey and who's a lazy and who isn't. Eichel is inconsistent in his effort, he can hunt for pucks, negate icings, and battle. Sometimes he doesn't and I think that's what is going to hold him down in the NHL. He has skill but that battle in him should be questioned.

Anyways, my point has been made. I was proving a point why Tavares is a better player than Eichel which I did a page ago.

Not defensive...I object to the whole narrative you present as a false one and lacking factual clarity. So...clueless.

So...sensitive.

 

[McKappa]

I find it comical how people put MacKinnon in that category already

Oh boy, does anyone remember when Mackinnon was the greatest player in the entire league last summer? Even winning a poll against McDavid?

lol

 

[bigdog16]

So he will take over games like the consensus most talented player of all time, just not be as consistent?

Keep dreaming

So whatever you say is correct then, right? Thats usually how hfboards works. Just wondering, besides the WJC on television, and youtube highlights, how many times did you see Eichel play live this past year?

 

[Plastic Joseph]

So whatever you say is correct then, right? Thats usually how hfboards works. Just wondering, besides the WJC on television, and youtube highlights, how many times did you see Eichel play live this past year?

12 live

Edit: I usually get 10+ views of each top prospect in the East every year. Anything west of Ontario almost never.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

As a prospect, MacKinnon was a potential superstar.

That's what I was referring to.

Again, in what world was MacKinnon's draft year remotely close to what Eichel accomplished in the NCAA?

 

[Plastic Joseph]

Again, in what world was MacKinnon's draft year remotely close to what Eichel accomplished in the NCAA?

You don't agree, that's fine, but what MacKinnon did was special. It's not every year a draft eligible is CHL player of the year, 2+ppg, and is drafted AFTER a team mate.

Seems like there must have been more to MacKinnon than just numbers, no?

I watched MacKinnon a lot live, more than most draft eligibles and he was a special talent. If you watched him it was no secret he would become a very, very good NHL player if not a superstar.

People always point to his season statistics, but I can tell you MacKinnon was bored in the Q (at 17!), and barely gave an effort most nights as his team would win by 6 or 7. Playoffs and Mem cup however, a completely different story.

Reg Season = 75 points in 44 games
Playoffs + memorial cup = 46 points in 21 games.

Overall, thats a total of 121 points in 65 games, not bad overall.


Back to Eichel, I think he is special too, just like MacKinnon. Personally I like MacK more in terms of pro upside, but its debatable. I can see where people come from when they rank Eichel above, but it isn't a landslide at all.