Jack Freakin Eichel!
Is there anything this kid can't do.
The kid stole the show at the NHL Scouting Combine in Buffalo this past weekend. On Monday night when he and a few of his fellow top prospects were featured on CBC's "Coach's Corner" with Don Cherry. Eichel was joined by Connor McDavid, Noah Hanifin, Mitch Marner, Dylan Strome and Lawson Crouse.
Eichel made the 21st annual "get top know the top prospects" segment on to remember forever. At the end of the segment, Jack The Ripper handed a gift to Cherry in an unwrapped Macy's box. Eichel told Cherry that the gift was from him and the boys "south of the border" for his support of Team USA over the years.
What happened next was priceless.
Grapes was surprised when he pulled out a Team USA golf short.
Thanks @ev_sporer
According to a report, Eichel said that the gag gift was his father's idea.
Jack and Mr. Eichel are going to fit right into the Western New York community which is populated by many ball busters and practical jokers.
I love how Eichel continues to show Sabres fans more glimpses of his fun, not-so-serious side of his personality. The kid loves his hockey and it appears as though he loves to mix it up and have fun, too.
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The NHL Combine revealed very few surprises.
120 prospects converged on Buffalo to show the 30 NHL GMs and countless scouts what physical tools they possess.
One of the most noteworthy stories, if not the most talked about story line was Jack Eichel's impressive strength and agility testing results.
Eichel turned heads when he finished in the top ten of all seven of the testing categories.
Perhaps the most buzz worthy outcome of the NHL Combine was Eichel's dominance over Connor McDavid in the strength and agility testing events.
SCOUTING COMBINE RESULTS
In the standing long jump McDavid scored a 97.3, while Eichel jumped 115"
Vertical Jump: McDavid 19.488" to Eiche's 26.181"
Grip Test: McDavid Left: 4.43, Right: 4.53; Eichel Left: 4.48, Right: 4.24
McDavid bench pressed 70% and 80% of his body weight 9 times to Eichel's 16 reps.
McDavid banged out 6 pull ups to Eichel's 9.
McDavid's Wingate score was 17.49, Eichel's was 17.42
McDavid scored a 10:15 on the VO2 max (bike) while Eichel delivered an impressive 12:15 score.
Final Score:
Eichel 7 McDavid 2
What does it all mean? Nothing really. Eichel is neatly three months older than McDavid is. Eichel played NCAA hockey which has afforded him the time and opportunity to hit the gym and count the weeks on a more frequent basis than McDavid. Eichel played two games a week on weekends with minimal travel while McDavid was playing three or four games a week plus travel.
When McDavid met with the management brass and scouting team of the Edmonton Oilers early on dueing combine week, he acknowledged in his self evaluation that he believes that he has to get bigger and stronger before he makes his transition from major junior hockey to the NHL. McDavid's self assessment was bang on. It's not unusual for 18 and 19 year old kids to have to commit to hitting the weights in order to broaden their bodies to withstand the rigors and physicality of the gauntlet that is the NHL 82 game season. McDavid need only ask his soon to be teammates Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent Hopkins, and Jordan Eberle the importance of adding mass and muscle to slender hockey body. Hall, RNH, and Eberle have all experienced upper body injuries in their brief NHL careers. The human shoulder was not made to be blasted off the seamless glass of NHL arenas.
Thanks, Oilers TV
McDavid will be fine. One average combine performance does not a career make. Wayne Gretzky would not have blown people away with his physical fitness at a pro combine.
McDavid's supreme skill set will carry him a long way at the next level. However, he will need to build his body and increase his strength in order to win battles against the best power players in the west.
On Saturday, McDavid took his strength and agility tests before Jack Eichel took his. Jack watched Connor like a hawk from the player's bench inside the HARBORCenter. Eichel had the benefit of knowing McDavid's scores to beat before his testing had begun. In trademark Eichel fashion, he saw McDavid's best scores and raised them as if to say "anything you can do I can do better".
McDavid may want to steal a page from Eichel's workout warrior manual.
Jack Be Nimble, Jack Be Quick. Jack Jumped Over Connor's Hockey Stick http://t.co/bL0oDZlhdR pic.twitter.com/AjE8WA9JDn
— SabresBuzz (@SabresBuzz) June 7, 2015