NHL teams
Paul Grant, ESPN.com 8y

W2W42n: McDavid, Eichel put their skates where the hype is

What to watch for tonight, for games on Thursday, Oct. 8:

The kids are in the picture

Rookie sensations and hyperbole attractors Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel make their professional regular-season debuts Thursday night. McDavid and his Edmonton Oilers are on the road against the St. Louis Blues, while Eichel's Buffalo Sabres are playing host to the Ottawa Senators. ESPN.com is at both games.

While both players are getting their fair share of hype -- some would say more than their fair share -- McDavid is the early favorite to win the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year and has made the biggest impression among his peers. Former NHLer Dale Hawerchuk was even quoted as saying, "He skates like Bobby Orr. He has the vision of Wayne Gretzky. And he handles the puck like Mario Lemieux." Steven Stamkos says McDavid is better than Stamkos is now, which is probably not accurate but gives you the sense of how good this kid is.

Pretty heady praise, indeed. Thursday night marks their first game of the NHL season, which neither 18-year-old has faced before over such a long haul, McDavid coming from the Canadian junior ranks and Eichel coming from college hockey, the seasons of which are not nearly as heavy on travel or games.

Phil the Thrill

Phil Kessel will start his first game for the Pittsburgh Penguins when his squad travels to face the Dallas Stars. Kessel came over/escaped from the Toronto Maple Leafs in an offseason trade. Word is that Kessel will play on a line with Sidney Crosby and Chris Kunitz. Kessel is wearing his customary No. 81.

Depending on line matchups, a Jamie Benn-Cody Eakin-Tyler Seguin matchup against Crosby's line would be worth the price of admission.

The big man sits

Zdeno Chara's season is off to a rough start. The big Boston Bruins captain was injured in the first period of his first preseason game and will sit out Thursday night's home opener against the Winnipeg Jets. Not a good start for Chara's recovery and the Bruins' chances of being a contender.

^ Back to Top ^