The 2015 NHL Entry Draft came with plenty of hype as we saw two generational talents go head-to-head off the ice. Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel both got to the NHL on different career paths, and could both be considered #1 picks on their own right on any other year. The Edmonton Oilers won the draft lottery and went with McDavid. If the Buffalo Sabres were disappointed to get the runner-up Eichel, they certainly didn’t show it.
Memorably, Eichel even told the Sabres top brass that he thought they’d actually won the lottery! Watch the first episode of this season’s Beyond Blue & Gold for more background on Buffalo’s first pick.
George McPhee, now advisor to Islanders General Manager Garth Snow, was the GM at the Capitals back in 2005-06 when two other rookies came into the game with similar amounts of hype – Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. Talking about the two rookie stars, he noted –
“It turns out to be great for the game because the entire League and hockey world is watching, and there’s this instant competition between the two guys.
“When the hype started happening with Ovechkin and Crosby, I initially thought it might be a little contrived. But when they started playing each other it wasn’t.
“It’s really good for the game and for a couple of franchises [Edmonton and Buffalo] that need a pick-me-up.
“Look what Ovechkin did for hockey in Washington for so many years and how Sidney revived the franchise in Pittsburgh; it’s been nothing but great for those individuals.”
However, McDavid fell awkwardly into the boards last night and the injury is thought to be a broken collar bone on the left side, and is expected to be out indefinitely, with the duration considered long-term.
The rivalry between the two players had been heating up nicely, with ESPN setting up a game-by-game tracker.
Picture courtesy of ESPN
There has been a surprise addition to the head-to-head though, with another rookie Max Domi lighting it up for the Arizona Coyotes. Click here for more analysis, but here are some quick graphics and you can gauge for yourself which of the three rookies is making the biggest impact.
Pictures courtesy of Sportsnet.ca