Kukla's Korner Hockey
Will McDavid, Eichel become ‘generational’ players?
by George Malik on 06/21/15 at 10:46 PM ET
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From the Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal:
People keep calling Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel “generational” players.
It’s a glowing description for the pair of 18-year-old centres expected to be the first and second picks in Friday’s National Hockey League draft at Sunrise, Fla. But what does that mean? Is it the next rung up from a franchise player?
“A generational player to me is a complete player who needs limited coaching, understands the time and temperature of a game, and can beat you with his work and beat you with his skill,” said St. Louis Blues coach Ken Hitchcock. “You don’t have to paint them a picture to get them to understand it. They already have it in their DNA.”
Bobby Orr had it. So did Wayne Gretzky. Mario Lemieux, for sure. They come along every 10 to 20 years, if hockey fans are lucky.
Eric Lindros was thought to be a generational talent as a teenager because he was so big and made plays with soft hands. Concussion problems, though, limited his climb up the generational scale. Sidney Crosby was a wunderkind growing up, but will he ever be on par with Orr, Gretzky and Lemieux?
McDavid and Eichel, the Boston University freshman centre, have been the rage for years and had scouts raving “watch this kid; he can do it all.” They are both coming to the NHL with a skill set and more hoopla than all the rest. But they haven’t played an NHL game.
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Tags: connor+mcdavid,
eric+lindros,
jack+eichel,
ken+hitchcock,
mario+lemieux,
sidney+crosby,
wayne+gretzky
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Eichel has no shot at becoming a generational-type player, way I see it. McDavid has a very, very slim chance.
Crosby was touted as “generational”... and yet he spends a chunk of time not even being the best forward on his own team.
People need to stop worrying about the “generational” tag. If you can get another Tavares, you’re in very good shape, and that’s what really matters.
Posted by Primis on 06/22/15 at 10:14 AM ET