Breakthrough season for Eichel

pahlsson

Registered User
Mar 22, 2012
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seems like he needs a talented mucker type player to keep him honest

too bad the sabres ended up with nylander instead of tkachuk in 2016
 

Breakfast of Champs

Registered User
Apr 15, 2007
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As dumb as this thread might sound to some I can actually kinda see where OP is coming from. If you were a casual Sabres fan you were honestly probably under the impression that in 2015 your team was getting a step-in superstar.

I remember the media (mainly American) pumping him up as better than any #1 pick since Crosby and many people were saying Stammer, Tavares, Kane, Hall, MacKinnon were a tier just below Eichel. It was ridiculous and untrue, but they missed on McDavid and really needed something.

I always said Eichel had franchise player talent, I likened him to a Seguin pre draft and got ridiculed in a thread debating who was better between him and McDavid, so how dare I compare the future generational talent to a mere Seguin??

Its these expectations that fans are dealing with now
 

koyvoo

Registered User
Nov 8, 2014
17,242
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Oh c'mon.The guy has as much talent as any player not named Mcdavid.He's only getting started IMO. Its also only been 6 games so slow your horses.
This. And to people implying he may not be a proper centre, watch the hockey more than the digits and his being a very, very natural centre will become apparent.
 

The Hanging Jowl

Registered User
Apr 2, 2017
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Not happening. Same old Jack. A fresh start, a $10M a year contract, the captaincy and it means nothing. As a lifelong Sabres fan it's not easy to accept but accept we must. Many people here and elsewhere thought he'd break out in a way similar to Nathan Mackinnon, he won't, it's not in his personality though it's not all about his makeup as a person he's also got a fairly pedestrian hockey IQ, it's Year 4, he'll be a point per game or slightly better but the McDavids, Matthews's, Mackinnons have left him in the dust. His wingman Reinhart has 0 goals. The Sabres tanked hard and deliberately for 2 seasons, their fans suffered, and the reward for that suffering was Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel. Hard to criticize the GM's, 31 other GM's would have taken Eichel 2nd overall and probably half of GM's would have taken Reinhart.

Better coaching would help but Sabres fans who cleave to that as some magic key that unlocks his potential are dreaming. Great talent, good player but generational was a fantasy and franchise player is looking to be beyond him as well.

The Sabres are 3-3 on the season, if they had last year's tandem of Lehner and Johnson in goal they'd be 1-5 or 0-6.


For whatever it's worth, I thought he looked great in the games against the Leafs last year.
 

X66

114-110
Aug 18, 2008
13,549
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Eichel will be fine because his raw tools are so extraordinary.

I really only have two real concerns with him, and this is based on my opinion from watching him a TON.

1. Doesn't play well with others. What I mean by this is, it seems very hard to find the right line-mates for him, I feel that it's hard to mix with him. Even at the international level, I always feel like he should play better with the players he got to play with. But he never really wowed me at the international level, outside of one U-18 year.

2. His motor just isn't there like the other studs. He needs to take over and out work everyone on the ice. Don't think we see that enough.
 

Satire

Registered User
Nov 20, 2016
2,889
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Eichel seems to have some issues with the mental game and being in a losing culture seems to be stopping him from reaching that next level. If and when the Sabres start being consistently cooperative you will see him shine. I have faith he will break out and early as this year. He's got the toolkit.
 

Brobust

Registered User
Sep 29, 2017
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Here's a hot take.

Jack Eichel = William Nylander in terms of both playstyle and potential ceilings as players.
 
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BAM

Registered User
Nov 21, 2016
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Eichel has the pure skill to be a top 2 or 3 player in the league, problem is he only uses it when he decides he wants to. He been a more vocal leader lately, but he needs to show it on the ice, not just say the right things. It seems ROR and Housley have rubbed off on him in that way, dont just talk about effort, go out there and show an effort.

I'd put Eichels raw talent above Matthew's, but Matthew's effort on every single shift makes things happen, not just his talent. Matthew's drive puts Eichels to shame, hopefully he pulls it together, until then I just hope it doesnt rub off on Dahlin.
Eichel's the faster skater, that's about it. I'd give shooting, defensive IQ, faceoff, and passing to Matthews.
 

CantLoseWithMatthews

Registered User
Sep 28, 2015
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I don't really get why he works so hard off the ice only to be so lazy while he's actually playing. He's a fitness freak but for some reason that drive isn't there when he's actually playing. I also don't think his hockey IQ is very good. He's still got the tools to be a great player, but I don't think he's at the level people expected
 
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SabresSharks

Registered User
Oct 2, 2007
6,559
3,156
Interesting that other fans are defending Eichel, while most Sabres fans are not. From afar, they see a young player who's doing quite well, and wonder what all the fuss is about. Up close, we see the unrealized potential of a player blessed with enough talent to dominate games, but who so rarely does.

If he ever develops an intensity to match his prodigious skills, we'll see the player we expected. Maybe it's just not in him.
 

Brobust

Registered User
Sep 29, 2017
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I don't really get why he works so hard off the ice only to be so lazy while he's actually playing. He's a fitness freak but for some reason that drive isn't there when he's actually playing. I also don't think his hockey IQ is very good. He's still got the tools to be a great player, but I don't think he's at the level people expected

He just makes it look easy like Nylander. I don't think he actually takes shifts off like people are saying.
 

La Masse

Registered User
May 5, 2016
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No he doesn't. His skill set is starting to become overrated around here. He's a straight line player. He doesn't create much time and space for himself in the offensive zone like other superstar players.

I think we wer're looking at a player like Ryan Johansen longer term at this point. I, like many others was obviously high on Eichel, but I'm starting to give up on him being an aircraft carrier type player.

His skillset is simply amazing.He has the shot(when he decides to use it) the hands and the size to be a dominant force in the NHL. He definately needs improvement on the defensive side and needs to be a little more engaged. The one place where he could improve offensively is the willingness to go to the front of the net, he's a little too perimeter oriented.
 

JayE

Registered User
Sep 24, 2016
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He has one of the more impressive offensive skillsets of anyone to enter the league in the last decade. His mentality doesn't seem to be there yet for him to be truly elite offensive player, but he's only 21. It's kind of absurd to compare him to a guy like MacKinnon and say that he'll never get there. MacKinnon wasn't a point per game player until his 5th season. Eichel was very close to being a point per game player in his 2nd and 3rd years while playing with less offensive talent.
 

ricky0034

Registered User
Jun 8, 2010
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Why do you think that? Im curious? Any reasons in particular? Those are the two hottest players in the league boasting the most raw skill outside of Mcdavid.

mostly just really high on Eichel if he can stay healthy all year,had him pegged as a 90 point guy this year if he could stay healthy and think it's too early to backpedal on that

Matthews has been pretty hot early and racked up a bunch of points so maybe that still won't be enough to catch him(although I think it will) but I don't think MacKinnon has been doing anything to put himself out of reach,he's got that goal streak to open the season but he's also only got 1 assist in 6 games so if that doesn't heat up in a hurry then once the goal scoring cools off his points total really isn't gonna be anything particularly special
 

Royal Thunder

Frolunda Mode
Feb 21, 2012
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Here's a hot take.

Jack Eichel = William Nylander in terms of both playstyle and potential ceilings as players.
Playstyle sure, but potential? Eichel is younger and put up 3 more points in 15 less games last season on a way way WAY worse offensive team. Jack is yet to live up to his potential fully but even now he is still way ahead of Willy.
 

Brobust

Registered User
Sep 29, 2017
6,866
6,299
How can you tell Marijuana is legal today?


You cant be serious. 31/31 GMS would take Eichel and not even think twice.

How could I possibly argue against an imaginary survey?

HfBoards loves Kuznetsov. Eichel and Nylander will both end up in the same tier as him.
 
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DanM

Registered User
Oct 2, 2017
5,584
3,516
Here's a hot take.

Jack Eichel = William Nylander in terms of both playstyle and potential ceilings as players.

Hot take indeed lol

I would trade Willie for Eichel everyday of the week, and twice on Sunday. After that I would go purchase a lottery ticket and never make another trade ever again.

You must just be kidding?
 

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