Connor McDavid vs Jack Eichel

[Constable]

Whats the difference in Stamkos and Crosby?

 

[Skobel24]

Whats the difference in Stamkos and Crosby?

One's a playmaker, the other is a sniper.

 

[ZeroPT*]

One is Canadian and has been playing in the CHL since he was 16, the other is American and was playing in the USHL until this year.


This feels somewhat similar to Ovechkin/Malkin, aside from the nationality issues all about. Ovechkin was in the spotlight for years while Malkin was this sort of unknown entity until his draft year. Eichel's hype has existed before this year, but obviously the hype machine is different playing in the USHL than the OHL.

And yes, the perception gap is narrowing as the year goes on just like Ovechkin/Malkin.

Oh give me a break. Both are absolutely elite but McDavid is better. It's close but he's better and anyone saying it's because he's Canadian are just whining and baiting

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

American here, it's kind of like the Lemieux and Gretzky thing. Obviously these two prospects aren't Lemieux or Gretzky, but the thinking follows a similar trend. Lemieux was visibly more noticeable than Gretzky. Gretzky was clearly the superior player. Same is the case with Eichel and McDavid. Eichel plays a much more dominant style, visually, but McDavid is the better hockey player. Not that it matters too much, both are incredibly special talents.

 

[CanadienShark]

American here, it's kind of like the Lemieux and Gretzky thing. Obviously these two prospects aren't Lemieux or Gretzky, but the thinking follows a similar trend. Lemieux was visibly more noticeable than Gretzky. Gretzky was clearly the superior player. Same is the case with Eichel and McDavid. Eichel plays a much more dominant style, visually, but McDavid is the better hockey player. Not that it matters too much, both are incredibly special talents.

That's fair. I figure people are still going to jump on you for that comparison, even though you're not trying to say they're stylistically similar (or even have 99/66 type of potential).

 

[wickedwitch]

Oh give me a break. Both are absolutely elite but McDavid is better. It's close but he's better and anyone saying it's because he's Canadian are just whining and baiting

But there are people who are saying that it's not even close, and that the only reason there is even a discussion is to create controversy. Those people are generally biased towards Canadians.

I think McDavid is better, but Eichel is good enough that he should at least be considered an option at #1 in June.

 

[Moskau]

Offensively they are both on a special level with Eichel being a slightly better goal scorer and McDavid being a slightly better passer. Away from the puck though I think that McDavid is far more advanced. At this point in his development he's just a far more advanced player positionally and defensively. That could potentially make scouts even higher on Eichel if they feel he has some holes to fix similar to Bennett last year.

 

[TheFinalWord]

Where exactly are those posts? I sure haven't seen them.

Arguing that Eichel is in the same realm as McDavid isn't the same as beating one's shoe against their own head and shouting nonsense.

Look up.

 

[jacks*]

McDavid isn't considered to be 'so much better'. Many scouts have said the gap is very small and some might even prefer Eichel.

He isn't considered so much better than Eichel.

Scouts favoured it something like 6-4 McDavid to Eichel.

Really? I haven't read anywhere that a scout has said he prefers Eichel over McDavid.
I like to know how you came up with a 6-4 ratio.Could it be an opinion not a fact?
What i can say that every draft ranking i have seen has McDavid going 1st.
Now that's a fact.

 

[Stand Witness]

I without a doubt think that if Eichel was Canadian and McDavid was American then Eichel would go 1st overall.

The McDavid>>>>Eichel POV isn't scouts, thats the Canadian media and fans.

Scouts rankings are a lot closer, I still think the major scouting organizations still favour the Canadians. I bet if you look at individual teams scouts its different. Bob McKenzie again proves why he is the best when he talks about the two. You can tell he views them equal. Same as Craig Button, he knows what he is talking about

 

[AmericanDream]

Really? I haven't read anywhere that a scout has said he prefers Eichel over McDavid.
I like to know how you came up with a 6-4 ratio.Could it be an opinion not a fact?
What i can say that every draft ranking i have seen has McDavid going 1st.
Now that's a fact.

Just use that little thing called Google search. Yes this was stated a bit back and yes it is legit. The gap is minimal if any and the only people doubting this aee blinded Canadiens.

 

[Spade]

McDavid's rated 1st because he's better. What's interesting is that most ratings lists don't say how much better. It just goes 1-2-3....

I fully buy into the idea that Eichel is a phenomenal prospect, because he is. But at the draft, when you take into account everything between the two of them, whether your scouts unanimously think Connor/Jack is the way to go or if it's closer to a 50/50 split, you have to take the guy who's got the edge, no matter how close it is.

Right now, the advantage belongs to McDavid. That's why he's consistently rated 1st overall. But it's definitely close and they're both potential franchise players, so it'll be tight right up until the lottery teams get onto the podium.

 

[Bps21*]

Really? I haven't read anywhere that a scout has said he prefers Eichel over McDavid.
I like to know how you came up with a 6-4 ratio.Could it be an opinion not a fact?
What i can say that every draft ranking i have seen has McDavid going 1st.
Now that's a fact.

Before the year started McKenzie said his 10 scout poll had it 7-3 McDavid. So that's more than 0 right there.

No one doubts who is going first. That's never been the conversation. No one has the balls to take someone over the guy who was put in the top spot years ago.

The conversation is go into the WJ board and see that dictating play like Eichel did today is "being selfish" and not being able to get on the board against Slovakia is "they didn't give McDavid the right wingers".

The conversation has always been Canadians covering their eyes and ears and screaming "I can't hear you" while the rest of the objective world sees how it's not the "anyone who even thinks they're close is just kidding themselves" narrative that gets pushed and repeated by the same people over and over. They largely just all happen to share the same nationality for some reason.

 

[Zaddy]

Really? I haven't read anywhere that a scout has said he prefers Eichel over McDavid.
I like to know how you came up with a 6-4 ratio.Could it be an opinion not a fact?
What i can say that every draft ranking i have seen has McDavid going 1st.
Now that's a fact.

It was in a post on NHL.com a number of months back. Use google.

Actually, I did it for you because I'm such a nice fellow.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/blogpost.htm?id=27787#&navid=nhl-search

NHL.com asked nine scouts in attendance at NHL Central Scouting's final meetings this week for their personal choice between the two. The impromptu poll had McDavid earning a slim 5-4 victory.

 

[GlassesJacketShirt]

I do think it's close, in fact close enough to prevent me giving a surefire opinion.

McDavid has swifter hands, slightly better vision and has more tenacity on both ends of the ice, but I have to admit, Eichel's poise immediately stuck out to me. I also feel his wrister is superior, he's got a legit mean release that McDavid does not seem to have.

 

[3 Minute Minor]

I without a doubt think that if Eichel was Canadian and McDavid was American then Eichel would go 1st overall.

The McDavid>>>>Eichel POV isn't scouts, thats the Canadian media and fans.

Scouts rankings are a lot closer, I still think the major scouting organizations still favour the Canadians. I bet if you look at individual teams scouts its different. Bob McKenzie again proves why he is the best when he talks about the two. You can tell he views them equal. Same as Craig Button, he knows what he is talking about

You understand that when it comes to hockey prospects, they are the Canadian media, right? They also have the most to gain by saying the race is close as it'll drive ratings during the World Juniors.

People compared it to Hall/Seguin but I compared it to Crosby/Kessel. They weren't in the same draft class but they were constantly compared to each other for much the same reason, Kessel/Eichel are American and any time there's a generational talent in Canada, USA has to try to push that title on one of their own.

 

[RangerBlues]

McDavid is a freak of nature.

Its gonna be show time all the time.

 

[Stand Witness]

You understand that when it comes to hockey prospects, they are the Canadian media, right? They also have the most to gain by saying the race is close as it'll drive ratings during the World Juniors.

People compared it to Hall/Seguin but I compared it to Crosby/Kessel. They weren't in the same draft class but they were constantly compared to each other for much the same reason, Kessel/Eichel are American and any time there's a generational talent in Canada, USA has to try to push that title on one of their own.

Its not Bob McKenzie or Craig Button I am referring to. Its everyone else in the media commenting on them. All of the TV personal who don't take to the scouts or watch the games.

Bob McKenzie bases his stuff off of what scouts tell him. Craig Button does it himself.

Your comparison is really bad tbh. The Americans aren't hyping up Eichel because of McDavid. They are both generational talents. Neither is pushing the title because of the other. Take one look at Eichel and you will see he is exactly what scouts rave about. Everything about him.

 

[Constable]

One's a playmaker, the other is a sniper.

shh

the point im trying to make is one is a franchise center and another one makes a franchise.

 

[AmericanDream]

Its not Bob McKenzie or Craig Button I am referring to. Its everyone else in the media commenting on them. All of the TV personal who don't take to the scouts or watch the games.

Bob McKenzie bases his stuff off of what scouts tell him. Craig Button does it himself.

Your comparison is really bad tbh. The Americans aren't hyping up Eichel because of McDavid. They are both generational talents. Neither is pushing the title because of the other. Take one look at Eichel and you will see he is exactly what scouts rave about. Everything about him.

Though I appreciate the kind words towards Eichel I do not believe either are generational talents...just my opinion but if Eichel has a career like ModanoI will be stocked. Generational??? Not seeing that with either.

 

[satbank]

While, I think they both have the ability to be great player I really don't think either of them are generational player.

 

[S E P H]

While, I think they both have the ability to be great player I really don't think either of them are generational player.

Precisely, both are franchise players for the team who drafts them, but clearly neither are generational player like Crosby, Ovchekin, etc.

But if anybody honestly thinks McDavid is so much better than Eichel, is a zealot and an idiot. It is as simple as that.

 

[Stephen]

As a Canadian, I never thought of it as a Canada/USA issue. But it's also interesting when you look back on highly rated American players taken in the top 1-5, a lot of them come up short when it comes to evolving into the great franchise players envisioned of them:

David Legwand, Jack Johnson, Erik Johnson, Phil Kessel, Patrick Kane, James van Riemsdyk. Only maybe Kane has lived up to that early first overall hype/expectation, and it was funny that there was so little hype to Kane until the actual draft...

 

[danktopshelf]

Canadian bias.

Eichel is a beast. Guy is 6'2, 200 and ripped. He looks like an athlete and can rip the net up from range...

McDavid has had great coaching and development, but he's not a physical specimen or a great shooter. Guy looks like a frat pledge.

If they were both from Ontario Eichel would be the clear #1. McDavid would be wasted in Edmonton, all he can do is distribute.

 

[Bob b smith]

Kane is a superstar even if he's no Crosby or Stamkos. He's an above average number 1 pick.