Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel battled last season for No. 1 overall pick bragging rights. The comparison was never quite on level ice, with Eichel playing college hockey and McDavid tearing up the Ontario Hockey League.

This year, finally together on the same stage after years of pre-draft scouting comparisons, Eichel and McDavid will battle for rookie supremacy and likely the Calder Trophy.
 
Both McDavid and Eichel made their preseason debuts on Monday night. Not surprisingly, both made their mark on the scoresheet.
 
McDavid was solid after overcoming first-game jitters, contributing a pair of assists before being named the exhibition's first star.

"There was obviously nerves and a lot of excitement going into the game and it takes a little bit to settle down," McDavid told reporters. "I thought I was a little nervous in the first period and wasn't patient with the puck and wasn't playing my game. I guess that's to be expected, there was so much hype about playing your first NHL game. Although it's not really, it's still kind of your first taste."
 
With a split-squad Oilers roster, McDavid skated alongside wingers Taylor Hall and Teddy Purcell, before Purcell was swapped out for highly-touted prospect Leon Draisaitl in the third period.


 Eichel may have been even more impressive, feeding Matt Moulson for Buffalo's tying goal early in the third period, before scoring the winner on a shorthanded breakaway just a few minutes later.
 
Eichel tucked the puck through Minnesota Wild backup Darcy Kuemper's five-hole on a smooth deke. He was only on the ice for nine seconds, fleecing Jared Spurgeon in the neutral zone before pulling away with his speed on the breakaway.


 Kuemper told the Minnesota Star-Tribune that Eichel is "obviously a pretty special player with some of the plays he made out there."
 
"I don't think he took a stride past the blueline," Moulson told the Buffalo News, "He's sure got that smooth skating style."
 
Moulson joked he'll "take 20 of those from Jack" this season for the Sabres. Sabres coach Dan Bylsma said that as well as Eichel skated, he actually noticed Eichel's speed more in the defensive zone than the offensive zone.
 
"He's everything that you hear," Wild defenceman Ryan Suter told the Buffalo News. "Steady, big, long reach, upright skater. He slows the game down."
 
Eichel is not scheduled to play in the Sabres' preseason home opener on Wednesday night, according to Bylsma. Ryan O'Reilly and Evander Kane are expected to make their Sabres debuts.
 
With their first preseason games in the books, it's time to unveil TSN's Jack vs. Mac Tracker, which will be a regular feature on TSN.ca through this special season:
 

NHL Pre-season

 
Connor McDavid           Jack Eichel        
Game G A PTS +/- TOI Game G A PTS +/- TOI
1. CGY 0 2 2 0 20:59 1. @MIN 1 1 2 1 17:26
                       
Games G A PTS   TOI Games G A PTS   TOI
1 0 2 2 0 20:59 1 1 1 2 1 17:26
 


 
Frank Seravalli can be reached at frank.seravalli@bellmedia.ca.