Written by Liam McGuire at Bloguin
The draft hype for Connor McDavid/Jack Eichel was colossal. The great tank battle of 2014-15 was one of the NHL’s most hyped storylines, as whichever team who shot themselves in the foot the hardest would end up with the much coveted generational talent.
McDavid and Eichel, especially the former, were being touted as the next great ones and their faces were plastered on every website and newspaper with their season progress being closely monitored under a microscope. The race to the finish line was ugly. Team’s were progressively trying to get worse and fans were cheering on defeat. It was shameless, but understandable considering the prize.
When all was said and done, the Buffalo Sabres were guaranteed at least one of the two and ended up drafting second, despite GM Tim Murray’s objections. Arizona was pegged for the second spot, but because the NHL draft gods are sympathetic to Oilers every June, Edmonton leapfrogged them and took the top spot. McDavid was drafted in the top spot, while Eichel was picked second.
Through the first few weeks of the NHL season, it seems the hype was completely justified. McDavid and Eichel may not be friends, but they’ve both been dynamic.
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