BUFFALO, N.Y.

Matthews versus Eichel.

One-time teammates with the 2015 U.S. world junior team, these two teenagers are separated in age by less than a year and in distance by just a 90-minue drive down the QEW — at least when it comes to their NHL homes.

While the fact that Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel were the top two picks in the 2015 NHL draft, the fact that McDavid ended up two time zones away in the Western Conference in Edmonton stripped their potential rivalry of some spice, since the Oilers and Eichel’s Buffalo Sabres meet just twice every season.

On the other hand, the fact the Maple Leafs selected Auston Matthews first overall Friday night in the 2016 draft means the Battle of the Golden Horseshoe now features a pair of young stars who have yet to reach their 20th birthdays.

Of course, given the geographic proximity of Toronto and Buffalo, the debate already has started over which kid is the better player, even though they’ve never faced each other in an NHL game.

In order to get some insight into what makes both of these budding stars tick, Postmedia enlisted the services of long-time bench boss Don Granato, the man who coached both players with the U.S. National Team Development Program.

“Jack played for me one year, Auston the next,” Granato said Saturday. “And for me, it was an incredible experience. To be able to coach high level, they develop so rapidly.

“And the neat thing was to see the respect they have for each other. I was an assistant with the (2015) world junior team where they were teammates and you could see it. There’s a respect where I think Jack thought, ‘It’s my job to kind of bring Auston along. He’s going to go through what I’m going through.’ It was a brother relationship what I saw.

“It was almost like they were mentoring each other.”

While fans in Buffalo and Toronto already are boasting that their player is the more talented one, Granato won’t pick between the two. But he does know this: they’ll make each other superior players when going head to head.

“They are going to help elevate each other’s games because neither will give an inch,” Granato said. “And that’s really going to make the Sabres-Leafs rivalry a special one.”

Without further ado, here’s Granato’s breakdown — in his own words — of both Matthews and Eichel, when it comes to various categorized skills.

1. EYES (Vision)

Vision for Auston, he’s always got the target within his vision — in most cases, the net. Eichs is more piece by piece, the next obstacle being the defenceman and then so on.

If it’s Eichel, he’s going to attack the defenceman and then the goaltender. If it’s Auston. he doesn’t even see the defenceman. His mind is already attacking the goalie. The defenceman is just in the way. He’ll find a way to get through it.

2. BRAINS (Hockey sense/smarts)

They both excel in different ways.

Eichs really looks and really uses his teammates as far as tracking his teammates. You can almost see him looking. And Auston, you don’t see him looking. He’s got them on the radar.

Eichel is more patient in looking for help when plays develop. Auston has a keen hockey sense and he attacks a situation. He can improv. He has the confidence to attack quicker and improv as he goes through it because he has great sense. He’ll keep reading the situation as it changes. Eichs is much more analytical. He’s going to read the situation before he attacks.

3. HEART

Both players have great heart and show it in completely different ways. Where Auston will show it in more of a high energy game, in Eichs you don’t see it as much because he picks his spots more. But, at the end of the game, they’re both emotionally drained. They’ve poured it all out for their teammates.

With Eichel, it’s harder to see. I’ve been in the locker room after a game and when he doesn’t perform up to his set standard he takes it personally.

Auston does, too, but you’ll see more of it out of Auston in the game. You’ll see more frustration outward. He wears it a little more on his sleeve. Sometimes with Jack, for those looking from the outside you would question it. You shouldn’t question it. It’s behind the scenes.

4. MOUTH (Leadership)

Both are very quiet leaders. Auston is a man of very few words. Around the team and within the team he really feels that “I have to lead by example.” Jack is a little more comfortable speaking up and setting a tone in a more verbal manner. Auston is very verbal with his linemates, though. It’s his unit. He’s like the captain of his line. In that shift, he communicates a lot with his teammates on the bench. But it’s small talk. It’s not consensus. It’s “We’ve got to pick it up now — that was unacceptable last shift.”

Eichs is more of a macro entire-team feel. Right wing, left wing, lets go.

5. HANDS (Scoring)



In tight, Auston is very comfortable using his feet with his hands. In confined areas, he is lights out. He loves that challenge of a tight-area battle.

Eichs prefers a little more open ice, a little more speed where his reach is incredible. He can get a defenceman three feet to the right, three feet to the left, just because he has such great reach with the puck.

Auston’s going to attack your feet more, Eichel has a wing span that he likes to prefer on the attack.

6. WRISTS (Shot power, accuracy)

Eichs’ power and shot, it’s elite NHL calibre. I think as he evolves as a player and learns to do it quicker and at pace, it will be deadly. He’s going to get more power.

Auston’s release will be different. His will be more from in tight and in traffic areas. Eich’s will be coming off the wingspan. As he gets out there you’ll think of the old traditional Messier kick. You can see it coming and you still can’t stop it.

7. SHOULDERS/ELBOWS (Toughness)

They’re both tough. What are they, both 6-foot-2? They’re both strong, so powerful. The comfort in engaging in battles? They’re so comfortable because whoever is as big as them, either Auston or Eich usually win the agility battle. They both don’t mind attacking the net.

8. LEGS (Skating/Speed)

Eichel, he’s got so much power. We’re talking elite Pavel Bure-type power. He can get going almost like a Paul Coffey stride. So smooth. It’s deceiving because his legs aren’t moving as fast as his body because you’re projecting how fast his body should be moving. As a defender it’s a daunting task. He’s already put the fear into defenders around the NHL because you can’t gauge how fast he’s coming at you because he has so much power.

As for Auston, I’ve seen gains in power but he doesn’t have the long stride like Jack does. His is more of the Billy Guerin-power forward power. Jack, if you give him open ice, he’s going to take advantage of it and power past you. Auston is luring you in. Anything tight, his first couple of steps are going to separate and you’re going to take a penalty getting him from that point. His is more the first couple of strides where the defender almost has to jump at Auston. Whereas if you give Eichel space, you’re just going to have to back up.

9. FEET (Agility/Footwork)

Auston can do some Pele-type things. It’s all improv. There’s nothing predetermined when he goes into a situation in that regard. He uses all body parts, Auston does. Eichel, when we’re talking about using your feet again, it’s all about length of ice than corner to the net. Jack’s more north and south.

mzeisberger@postmedia.com

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