Eichel vs. McDavid vs. Matthews

[RooneyJohn889]

The point of this thread isn’t to discuss who’s the best overall, but to discuss who’s the best in various areas of the game. 

These are my opinions:

Skating - McDavid easily, though the other two are still excellent

Shooting - Either AM or Eichel

Passing - McDavid. Eichel is Second and AM is, IMO, somewhat far behind, in third

Defense - AM. He’s more of a two way player than Eichel or McDavid

Leadership - Not that sure of this one, but I’d give the edge to McDavid purely because he has the C

[Kings Redeem LA]

Hey RJ889!       

 

I put a lot of stock in what former or current players say about 

those who play the game or who have played it. I have made 

it a point to watch Oiler battles ever since

McDavid entered the league.

 

What amazes me about him, beyond his consistently immediate standout performance, 

= what other players say about him. Commentators commenting that he's the 

most skilled player and / or the greatest skater they've ever seen. That gets 

my attention the way that Bobby Orr got it when he said that Gordie Howe 

has been the best ever to lace up skates. 

 

Connor McDavid may soon prove, if he hasn't already, to be

today's greatest passer and skater. Not just among this trio. 

But period.   

 

Shooting - If we're talking about a slapshot and its power, I give 1st Place to Auston Matthews. 

If we're gauging who's got the most creativity, I've seen great maneuvers from all, and 

couldn't give an edge to any in that distinction.    

AM has the best shooting percentage among these three blokes. 

 

Defense - McDavid has the best +/- but that's a 50/50 stat for me. Plus there aren't an 

even amount of games or seasons among him, Jack Eichel, and Matthews. But it's one 

way to get a defense argument going. CM's not the most imposing defensive specimen but 

he makes some crafty moves there. I've seen him score two unusual goals thanks to his D;  

both in the offensive zone but when he didn't even have the puck, never even touched it: intentionally 

bumping one player near the net which caused him to cough up the puck into his own goal, 

the other by slapping his stick toward an opposing player's stick with the puck and causing 

it to flip back into the netting. 

 

Leadership - I dig what you're saying about edge given Connor getting the Captaincy. I don't know the 

story behind him getting it, but I imagine it was split between leadership potential that Edmonton 

saw in him and the expectations that've been heaped upon him. I think Buffalo and Toronto 

both see "C" potential in Eichel and AM too. Hence the contract for the former. And one's 

gotta hope, gotta think, despite some WTF?! from the Ghost of Toronto Management Past, 

that Matthews = a lifetime franchise player and leader, likely becoming Captain at some point.     

[Samifan]

Oh, AM is Auston Matthews that makes more sense. I originally thought AM was Andrew MacDonald.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

3 hours ago, Samifan said:

Oh, AM is Auston Matthews that makes more sense. I originally thought AM was Andrew MacDonald.

 

Good GAWWD, Man!!

I edited the title slightly JUST so others won't make this same incredulous, horrendous, fatal, but ultimately, comical error.......  

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Oh...and my contribution to this thread....

 

Actually, I think the OP may be pretty accurate with most of his placement of the players in question on the different abilities.

 

I DO think McDavid qualifies as the best skater, though as was already mentioned, it doesn't mean the other two are 'bad'.

Conner just has a smooth silky style about him that belies his large frame and it probably lulls defenders into a sense of "I got this guy"...right before he blows right by them....

 

As for shooting, I feel Eichel is probably the best sniper of the three...although McDavid doesn't lag too far behind here either. 

Some people may knock McDavid saying he doesn't shoot enough, but I think he does his share there...it's just, he has the puck so freakin much, it APPEARS he passes more than shoots... Eichel though, will shoot the puck very often... if only his team would be in possession of it more often.....

 

Matthews of course, shoots a lot as well...though most of his shooting comes in transition as opposed to more 'set plays' like the other two, IMO. 

Since set plays happen more often than pure transition, the other two get more opportunities....plus, up n down the lineup, the Leafs have a bunch of other shooters Matthews shares that duty with.

 

Passing?

Right now, of the three, McDavid is top of the line.

That said, again, if Eichel's team had (and keep) possession of the puck more often, maybe Eichel gets a chance for lots more passing opportunities.

 

Matthews will pass, though not as often as the first two, but again, that may be due to the fact that Toronto is probably the most offensively oriented team of the three players' teams here that the passing duties, just like shooting, gets shared by more team members...whereas in Buffalo and Edmonton, Eichel and McDavid are pretty much "the show" there...not taking away from some of their talented teammates as well.

 

Defense and Leadership, honestly, jury is still out on all three of these guys.

Still too young to really determine if they are 'true leaders' and the defensive play will come with time.

Right now, all three of their jobs is to generate offense, excite fans, and raise the level of play of their linemates..... this, all three can do just fine.

 

"Leadership" can be so abstract and nebulous (there are MANY ways to lead), that we may never really know the answer to this.

 

But if I WERE to give a nod to the defensive part, I would default (yes, default, because I don't think any of the three currently are any sort of defensive wizards, not yet anyways) to Auston Matthews.

Why?

Simply due to this face off % numbers...much better than Eichel's or McDavid's....and we all know, winning more face offs, means possession, which means your team has the puck, which means it IS a form of defense when you play with the puck instead of having to chase it down.

 

It is also worth noting that Matthews (and McDavid too) are pretty damned proficient at taking away the puck from the opposition whenever they get the chance...this speaks to defense as well as excellent stick handling.

 

So, again, the OP wasn't too far off from my own take.

Welcome to the forums, @RooneyJohn889 

[yave1964]

I was musing the other day that it is possible that all three are on the wrong team and would be even better simply trading places with each other.

 

  Matthews skill set seems to suit the Sabres, a big strong kid, he and Kane would be power rushing teams together and a matchup nightmare for other teams.

 

 Eichel is a crisp passer and a deadly shooter who seems to lack nothing save confidence and in Edmonton he would be able to resist the urge to do it all with Draisatl taking up the slack. With apologies to OReilly Draisatl would be the perfect safety valve for his growth.

 

  McDavid? Can you imagine him on a line with Marner and Nylander? A simple breakout pass to any of the three playmakers and a three on one or none would be the norm unless the other team kept their defense back and didn't help pinch in when the team had the puck. McDavid is a King in Edmonton, in Toronto he would be a GOD.

 

  

[BluPuk]

I'll just say this: Matthews is the best American born (and raised) hockey player I have ever seen.

[yave1964]

22 minutes ago, BluPuk said:

I'll just say this: Matthews is the best American born (and raised) hockey player I have ever seen.

  Nah, Chelios. Matthews certainly has the potential to take the mantle but a year and a half is way to short a time to give it to him.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

25 minutes ago, yave1964 said:

  Nah, Chelios. Matthews certainly has the potential to take the mantle but a year and a half is way to short a time to give it to him.

 

Atta boy, Yave....  

Don't you go soft on us and start giving away mantles to every young upstart that comes down the pike.... 

[FD19372]

1 hour ago, yave1964 said:

  Nah, Chelios. Matthews certainly has the potential to take the mantle but a year and a half is way to short a time to give it to him.

Jeremy Roenick...plus I hate Chris Chelios's guts..

[RooneyJohn889]

5 minutes ago, FD19372 said:

Jeremy Roenick...plus I hate Chris Chelios's guts..

What about Kane? Only American to win MVP. Also, why is Matthews held in much higher regard than Eichel. They seem pretty even to me. Maybe it’s just because I like the Sabres.

[ruxpin]

43 minutes ago, RooneyJohn889 said:

What about Kane? Only American to win MVP. Also, why is Matthews held in much higher regard than Eichel. They seem pretty even to me. Maybe it’s just because I like the Sabres.

 

That's probably the reason most people don't hold Eichel in as high regard.

 

That, and the difference of fortunes between the two teams, which is not exactly Eichel's fault.    People see a rookie and a playoff birth and another guy who needs to buy a ticket if he wants to go to the playoffs.  Again, not Eichel's fault.

 

Statistically, the two are neck and neck.  Matthews had better numbers last year, but Eichel was injured.   You extrapolate Eichel's total for 61 games to 82 and they're not just competitive; they beat Matthews.    Except for +/- which, again, is likely not Eichel's fault. 

 

All this is based on basic stats and not corsi or tarot cards, etc.   It's also important, though, to note that Matthews is comparing with one less year of experience.

 

All this to say that the higher regard for Matthews and Eichel--which I believe is real--is probably ill-founded.

[flyercanuck]

12 hours ago, ruxpin said:

 

That's probably the reason most people don't hold Eichel in as high regard.

 

That, and the difference of fortunes between the two teams, which is not exactly Eichel's fault.    People see a rookie and a playoff birth and another guy who needs to buy a ticket if he wants to go to the playoffs.  Again, not Eichel's fault.

 

Statistically, the two are neck and neck.  Matthews had better numbers last year, but Eichel was injured.   You extrapolate Eichel's total for 61 games to 82 and they're not just competitive; they beat Matthews.    Except for +/- which, again, is likely not Eichel's fault. 

 

All this is based on basic stats and not corsi or tarot cards, etc.   It's also important, though, to note that Matthews is comparing with one less year of experience.

 

All this to say that the higher regard for Matthews and Eichel--which I believe is real--is probably ill-founded.

 

I also prefer Mathews to Eichel...he seems more like a guy I'd want to play hard for than "I want $10 million AND fire the coach or i'm taking my ball and going home" Eichel.

 

 Player-wise they're pretty close...but I'd go for a beer with Mathews...I'd rather punch Eichel in the face,.

[ruxpin]

54 minutes ago, flyercanuck said:

 

I also prefer Mathews to Eichel...he seems more like a guy I'd want to play hard for than "I want $10 million AND fire the coach or i'm taking my ball and going home" Eichel.

 

 Player-wise they're pretty close...but I'd go for a beer with Mathews...I'd rather punch Eichel in the face,.

Agreed. 

[RooneyJohn889]

13 hours ago, flyercanuck said:

 

I also prefer Mathews to Eichel...he seems more like a guy I'd want to play hard for than "I want $10 million AND fire the coach or i'm taking my ball and going home" Eichel.

 

 Player-wise they're pretty close...but I'd go for a beer with Mathews...I'd rather punch Eichel in the face,.

I see where you’re coming from, but at the same time, the team has been a disappointment year in and year out. Bylsma didn’t work and Housley sure as hell ain’t working. A team with Eichel, Kane, O’Reilly, Okposo and Ristolainen shouldn’t have been as bad as they were the past couple of years and DEFINITELY shouldn’t be as bad as they are this year. I don’t know if theyre already like “Let’s just try to get Dahlin or Svechnikov.” Then again, knowing the Sabres luck, they’ll probably get the worst pick possible. Also, Eichel signed his contact well after Bylsma was let go.

[jammer2]

24 minutes ago, RooneyJohn889 said:

I see where you’re coming from, but at the same time, the team has been a disappointment year in and year out. Bylsma didn’t work and Housley sure as hell ain’t working. A team with Eichel, Kane, O’Reilly, Okposo and Ristolainen shouldn’t have been as bad as they were the past couple of years and DEFINITELY shouldn’t be as bad as they are this year. I don’t know if theyre already like “Let’s just try to get Dahlin or Svechnikov.” Then again, knowing the Sabres luck, they’ll probably get the worst pick possible. Also, Eichel signed his contact well after Bylsma was let go.

 

 Eichel = the floating diva. 

[yave1964]

3 hours ago, jammer2 said:

 

 Eichel = the floating diva. 

If i were to compare how I personally see the three of them:

 

McDavid: Gretzky, or the closest this generation will ever see.

Matthews: Messier, a warrior in the making.

Eichel:   I see Lindros.

 

One put up numbers the other two put up numbers and won lots of Stanley Cups. In the end that is how I think they will be. There is an ingredient missing from Eichel as there was from Lindros, with apologies to Flyer fans, not trying to get into a peeing match in here with either Sabre or Flyer fans but that is how I see them.

[flyercanuck]

4 minutes ago, yave1964 said:

If i were to compare how I personally see the three of them:

 

McDavid: Gretzky, or the closest this generation will ever see.

Matthews: Messier, a warrior in the making.

Eichel:   I see Lindros.

 

One put up numbers the other two put up numbers and won lots of Stanley Cups. In the end that is how I think they will be. There is an ingredient missing from Eichel as there was from Lindros, with apologies to Flyer fans, not trying to get into a peeing match in here with either Sabre or Flyer fans but that is how I see them.

 

The difference is that Buffalo didn't have to gut their team/prospect pool/draft to acquire Eichel...they just tanked. 

 

But yes, both primadonnas.

[AlaskaFlyerFan]

21 hours ago, flyercanuck said:

but I'd go for a glass of milk with Mathews...

 

Fixed it for you.

[flyercanuck]

1 hour ago, AlaskaFlyerFan said:

 

Fixed it for you.

 

He plays in Canada...he's allowed to drink. 

[RooneyJohn889]

13 hours ago, flyercanuck said:

 

The difference is that Buffalo didn't have to gut their team/prospect pool/draft to acquire Eichel...they just tanked. 

 

But yes, both primadonnas.

Not that there was much talent there before Eichel got here.

 

In the end, I think Eichel will walk away with at least a cup. Mittens tart looks excellent. We will probably get a decent return for Kane. Dahlin or Svechnikov both have a decent chance at becoming Sabres. Nylander, though he isn’t playing well in Rochester, played well at the WJCs. There’s an off hand chance Reinhart becomes a 50-60 goal scorer. Ristolainen is a viable no. 2 or 3 defenseman. The Sabres real problem is their depth. Their first couple of lines are ok, but these a sharp decline in talent after that.

[flyercanuck]

10 hours ago, RooneyJohn889 said:

Not that there was much talent there before Eichel got here.

 

In the end, I think Eichel will walk away with at least a cup. Mittens tart looks excellent. We will probably get a decent return for Kane. Dahlin or Svechnikov both have a decent chance at becoming Sabres. Nylander, though he isn’t playing well in Rochester, played well at the WJCs. There’s an off hand chance Reinhart becomes a 50-60 goal scorer. Ristolainen is a viable no. 2 or 3 defenseman. The Sabres real problem is their depth. Their first couple of lines are ok, but these a sharp decline in talent after that.

 

I thought Lindros would walk away with a few....never happened. Agree with everything else you said, except maybe about Reinhart. I always considered him a playmaker. There's been ONE 50 goal scorer in the NHL in the last TWO seasons. There's no way he's getting 50-60.

[jammer2]

16 hours ago, RooneyJohn889 said:

In the end, I think Eichel will walk away with at least a cup.

 

 So, you expect Eichel to get traded?  That is the ONLY way he wins a Cup....LOL!

16 hours ago, RooneyJohn889 said:

There’s an off hand chance Reinhart becomes a 50-60 goal scorer.

 

 There is also an off hand chance that you smell fart bubbles in the bathtub. Reinhart will be lucky to score 60 pts, not 60 goals. 

[radoran]

1 hour ago, jammer2 said:

 

 So, you expect Eichel to get traded?  That is the ONLY way he wins a Cup....LOL!

 

 There is also an off hand chance that you smell fart bubbles in the bathtub. Reinhart will be lucky to score 60 pts, not 60 goals. 

 

He's not Jeff Carter, after all!

 

[RooneyJohn889]

5 hours ago, jammer2 said:

 

 So, you expect Eichel to get traded?  That is the ONLY way he wins a Cup....LOL!

 

 There is also an off hand chance that you smell fart bubbles in the bathtub. Reinhart will be lucky to score 60 pts, not 60 goals. 

 

11 hours ago, flyercanuck said:

 

I thought Lindros would walk away with a few....never happened. Agree with everything else you said, except maybe about Reinhart. I always considered him a playmaker. There's been ONE 50 goal scorer in the NHL in the last TWO seasons. There's no way he's getting 50-60.

I meant to say points, not goals. My bad.