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In almost any other year Jack Eichel would be a clear first overall pick and that is what makes this year’s NHL draft special. While I don’t believe he is at the level of Connor McDavid, and the McDavid vs Eichel hype was overblown earlier in the year, there is a clear separation between Eichel and all the prospects below him. While McDavid is a generational player, there is little doubt in my mind that Jack Eichel has the ability to be a franchise changing #1 centre.
Eichel has had a remarkable freshman campaign with the Boston University Terriers, leading the club to a Frozen Four appearance (they take on North Dakota next week), and he is a contender for the Hobey Baker award. It is the type of NCAA freshman campaign that has not been seen since Paul Kariya nearly twenty years ago. Overall Eichel has 67 points in 38 games.
Jack Eichel
Centre — shoots Right
Born Oct 28 1996 — North Chelmsford, MA
Height 6.02 — Weight 193 [188 cm/88 kg]
Eichel has a long and quick skating stride that gives him great speed, power, balance, and acceleration. He has the ability to blow by defenders whether it is walking out of the corner on the cycle game, or taking them wide on the rush. Once Eichel gets a step on a defender, they are in trouble as he accelerates past them and heads to the front of the net. His agility, and edgework are also extremely good and he can pair them with his stickhandling to elude defenders and create opportunities for a shot or a pass. Eichel has good balance, and is difficult to knock off the puck. Add a long stick and he can protect the puck down low, and wait for teammates to get open. When they do he has the great vision and passing skills to be a prime playmaker and make his teammates better.
Eichel can also play the role of sniper. He has a hard wrist shot with a lightning quick release, and a good one-timer. He has quick hands and the ability to finish in close, as well as the hand-eye co-ordination to tip in pucks and pounce on rebounds. Eichel has top-notch hockey sense, and always seems to make the right play with the puck on his stick, or find ways to get open for teammates when he does not. Eichel has all the tools to be a future top line centre in the NHL.
Defenisvely Eichel has shown the ability to do the job in his own zone. He backchecks relentlessly and never takes a shift off. His long reach allows him to create turnovers and move the puck quickly in transition. He is getting better on face-offs as well.
In terms of a style comparison, and I stress this is style and not talent, Eichel plays the game similar to a Ryan Getzlaf perhaps with a little more speed. While the US NTDP has produced numerous elite prospects in recent years, Eichel could be a true NHL superstar, and the best prospect to come out of that program to date. He looks the part of the future top line centre that the Americans have lacked to pair with their top level wingers in the last two Olympics.
Check back tomorrow for the number 3 prospect on my draft board.
