from Scott Burnside of ESPN,

There is a "normal" routine for a player about to start his first season in the NHL.

For Jack Eichel, it was hanging out at his parents' home this summer, enjoying his mother's home cooking after living away from home playing hockey the past few years. It was getting to know his new landlords: Buffalo Sabres teammate Matt Moulson, Moulson's wife and two small children. He's playing goalie for Moulson's young son, who's too young to know that his new playmate is considered one of the great young talents in the game. And he went through his first physical on Thursday as the Sabres opened training camp.

But juxtaposed against these routines, which young players have experienced for decades, is the undeniable fact that "normal" really is a foreign concept for a player like Eichel, the second overall pick in June's draft.

"He's a special player," Moulson told ESPN.com Thursday. "Does a lot of things that probably 99 percent of the guys in the NHL can't do, and he's 18 years old. This kid's got some stuff that not a lot of people I've ever seen have."

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