Player Discussion Jack Eichel - Switching from #15 to #9

[Sabre Dance]

Remind me what percentage of the shooters make $10 million per year?

I don’t care that he missed it, just saying...can’t throw out a stat like that without acknowledging that Eichel gets paid more than just about every single data point you’re using. He has a higher bar for success with that paycheck.

Technically he is still on his entry level contract.

Jack will be evaluated as the years go on. He wasn't drafted for his 1st 3 years, he was drafted for the next 10+ after that.

 

[Sabre Dance]

Eichel is not a finisher. It just doesn't appear to be a natural instinct for him. If he wants to work on that aspect of his game, the guy he should talk to is probably Andrew Allen.

If only he understood few goalies can stop his shot.

 

[valet]

Can we all just admit that scoring on penalty shots is hard in the NHL?

 

[debaser66]

he probably has the talent but has he the mentality to really become an elite player

 

[valet]

he probably has the talent but has he the mentality to really become an elite player

This is an interesting question, or maybe not. I think he's been pretty clear that he hates losing. It's hard to find a comparison though. He's played on a bad team his first 2.25 years, with definitively bad coaching and management for the majority of that time.

Personally I think that Jack has already had a lot of individual success. He's too talented with the puck not to. But there is also that pesky and inconsolable Buffalo fan mentality that if our players don't win right away they aren't worth anything to the franchise. The city has no patience with it's teams, and I suppose rightly so.

Either way, the emotion that Jack has shown, the responsibility he takes, and the way he crucifies himself in accordance with the sometimes undue criticism leads me to believe that he has exactly the intangibles required for success in team sports. It's only a matter of time if Botteril builds a competent team around him, which I think he will.

 

[Club]

Can we all just admit that scoring on penalty shots is hard in the NHL?

Yes, but he was gassed to add to that

 

[Chainshot]

Star player on terribly run team with dubious coaching? Steve Yzerman may be going back too far for some. So too Joe Sakic who was on some laughing-stock Nords teams. Both figured it out and got the supporting cast to win it all more than once.

 

[DJN21]

Stevie is exactly what I see. Great comparison. Granted the cap will stop future comparisons here for cup hopefuls but I do like the comparison

 

[1972]

Jacks going to be still be a superstar forward in this league, just might not be for another 2-3 years.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

Sydney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Pat Kane, and Jonathan Toews are a combined 4 for 21 in their careers on in game penalty shots.

And Toews is 2 for 3.

Kane, Crosby, and Ovechkin are 2 for 18 combined.

Well that’s far less than 30%. He shouldn’t feel bad for missing then. As I said in my post, it doesn’t bother me at all that he missed it. Just pointing out that he needs to be judged against his peers now that he has that contract; not the entire league.

 

[stokes84]

Well that’s far less than 30%. He shouldn’t feel bad for missing then. As I said in my post, it doesn’t bother me at all that he missed it. Just pointing out that he needs to be judged against his peers now that he has that contract; not the entire league.

Some of best guys in shootouts are very mediocre players, and some of the best players are terrible at penalty shots.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

He needs help. Even a superstar can't carry an awful team. I mentioned this the last couple years and even made a thread about it, this team needs a lot more offensive production from the blueline if we want to be a playoff team and start winning games, not to mention we need help up front. This team cannot score. It's being carried by Jack, Kane and Pommers. The only player we have who gives 100% nearly every night and is leading our team in goals and points and is on pace for 35+ goals and 70+ points is virtually being ran out of town by fans here who try and blame Kane every game for the smallest infractions while conveniently ignoring how awful Reinhart has been all season or RoR for more then half the season.

We need D help bad, but we also need another star forward to pair with Jack. Kane needs to be kept. This team cannot score at all and people want to trade the one player who actually gives a damn am decent who is scoring at a great rate. I remember when I was one of the only people here who wanted to give Stamkos the 7 year deal at 11 mil per while I was told that was a stupid idea and that we should give Dale Weise 4 mil per and then we also had that stupid impossible Fowler dreams that had no chance. Instead of giving Stamkos an offer he couldn't refuse at 7/77 we gave ghostposo 6 mil per. All Stamkos has done is score 62 points in 46 games since signing that deal. YEah he had a fluke major injury but came back stronger then ever and is a hart trophy candidate right now. Stamkos is easily worth 11-12 mil when Ghostposo gets 6 mil and is putting up a third of Stammers production. That is what Eichel needs. He needs another high end star player. Kane has toews. Crosby has Malkin. Ovechkin has Backstrom. Benn has Seguin etc. Eichel needs another legit star forward to pair him with. If this team did sign Stammer two summers ago this team is totally different.

 

[Icicle]

Eichel's production will remain to be sub-expectations until Kane is off his line. Unbelievably it's gone on this long.

 

[Rasmus CacOlainen]

Eichel's production will remain to be sub-expectations until Kane is off his line. Unbelievably it's gone on this long.

Eichel 16-17 Non-PP PPG - 0.54
Eichel 17-18 Non-PP PPG - 0.72

... the way I see it Eichel is producing more with Kane and Pomers this year than last year with Sam and whoever (think it was mostly Kane/Foligno but a bunch of others played with Sam and Jack too)... His PPG numbers are low because of the sucky PP we have this year. 0.72 PPG at 5v5 or shorthanded is what I'd expect from Jack this year. Kane is not the problem as his numbers with Kane are very good this year...

 

[Jim Bob]

Eichel has yet to show he should wear the ‘C’ for the Sabres | The Buffalo Star

Kevin O doesn't think Jack is ready to wear the C yet.

 

[Jame]

Eichel has yet to show he should wear the ‘C’ for the Sabres | The Buffalo Star

Kevin O doesn't think Jack is ready to wear the C yet.

in other news, the ice at a hockey rink is cold.

 

[ZZamboni]

Well no ship Eichel isn’t ready. He also wasn’t ready in Sept. when some fans wanted him to have it. I love Jack, but he needs more maturing. Nothing wrong with saying that.

That’s why they should have just given it to ROR. And in 5 years when Eichel is 26, if he’s ready, give it him then. I highly doubt he would have pouted for years. And just because he’s gonna be your highest paid doesn’t mean slap a C on the guy.

ZOMG McDavid got the C, give Eichel one too!

 

[stokes84]

Eichel might not wear the "C", or be ready for the "C", but everyone in that room and in the community knows that he is the captain. It's dumb that they are even playing games like this.

 

[Jame]

Eichel might not wear the "C", or be ready for the "C", but everyone in that room and in the community knows that he is the captain. It's dumb that they are even playing games like this.

You've perfectly encapsulated the problem with the Buffalo Sabres organization.

You realize that someone who is "not ready to lead", may not actually ever be a leader, right?

The Sabres are trying to force Eichel to be Toews... and he's clearly not. He's Kane.

If there was anything more detrimental to the organization than f***ing this up... I don't know what it could be.

 

[stokes84]

You've perfectly encapsulated the problem with the Buffalo Sabres organization.

You realize that someone who is "not ready to lead", may not actually ever be a leader, right?

The Sabres are trying to force Eichel to be Toews... and he's clearly not. He's Kane.

If there was anything more detrimental to the organization than ****ing this up... I don't know what it could be.

"They" aren't forcing anything. It is completely natural that everyone is deferring to him. He's the Alpha and there is no way around it.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

"They" aren't forcing anything. It is completely natural that everyone is deferring to him. He's the Alpha and there is no way around it.

And if that's actually the case, it's a sad commentary on the strength of character in the locker room. All the talent in the world doesn't mean a grizzled vet who knows how to lead should be deferring to the young stud who isn't mentally ready for that role. If Eichel is being deferred to, then there aren't any true leaders in the locker room.

 

[old kummelweck]

Eichel has yet to show he should wear the ‘C’ for the Sabres | The Buffalo Star

Kevin O doesn't think Jack is ready to wear the C yet.

And that would be why no one is wearing it.

I suspect they are waiting for him to break out before putting it on him. Will that happen this year? It's hard to say.

 

[Jame]

And if that's actually the case, it's a sad commentary on the strength of character in the locker room. All the talent in the world doesn't mean a grizzled vet who knows how to lead should be deferring to the young stud who isn't mentally ready for that role. If Eichel is being deferred to, then there aren't any true leaders in the locker room.

I don't know... the scenario is so bizarre to me.....

There is definitely a component of the organization's approach to leadership that has hurt the room. I think that has an effect on the "grizzled vets" ability to stand up and lead.

"So... Jack Eichel is going to be the leader of this franchise... but not yet... we don't think he's ready... but, you know let him lead... sometimes... maybe you guys can do an even/odd day leadership thing. Let Jack command the room on Even days... and you guys do it on the Odd days... because the priority is developing Jack as a leader... not actually leading the team this year"

Letters exist for a reason....

What type of clown ass organization does this?

 

[stokes84]

or maybe they defer to him because he is a natural leader, and it's not his fault that this team sucks.

 

[Aladyyn]

or maybe they defer to him because he is a natural leader, and it's not his fault that this team sucks.

based on?