In your opinion what is holding Jack Eichel back?

[1972]

Let me preface that Jack Eichel is a tremendous hockey player, a legit top end star player. But, I think we can all agree that there is another gear and two that he should be at 4 full seasons into his NHL career. In a year where scoring is up, he sits 24th in the NHL at PPG at 1.04. Fifth for his draft year in total points. Only 27 goals in 72 goals is a massive disappointment for a guy with his shot, especially considering most of those came in two hot streaks.

His talent level and natural ability is way better then so many players who continue to outscore him and produce more consistent results, IMO there's no reason he shouldn't be a top 5-10 player in the league at this point relatively easily instead of a top 25-40 player.

What in your opinion is holding him back from being that consistent night in night out franchise defining consistent superstar? Coaching? bad teammates? hockey IQ? work ethic? attention to detail?

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[Montag DP]

Like with most other of the team's ailments, I think coaching is the main deficiency. Not so much systems and matchups (although that obviously is a factor), but someone who can help him mature as a hockey player. He was a raw talent when he came into the league, and in my opinion he's been forced to mostly learn on his own due to not having someone respectable at the helm.

 

[Gabrielor]

I think, based on the tape, it’s 2 things

1) frustration at the talent around him. This one is clear as day. Every game I’ve ever seen him play, at some point, he’ll turn on his jets and try to make a play. When it works, he works. When it doesn’t, he knows that no other line is going to create something, so the sulk begins.

2) youth; he’s had the weight of the world on his shoulders since he’s been here. Dahlin was a great get to take some pressure off, but he’s also Swedish, and building up his english, and hasn’t taken enough attention from jack yet.

This team needs actual leadership to support jack. Bogo is too crap and too injured to be taken seriously as a leader, and Okposo can’t produce like a t6
Guy anymore. I think if we had Bergeron and chara, jack would’ve already scored 100+ points. Respected veterans who can still play, and support jack.

We also just need more talent. Jack would also have 100+ points on Toronto. We absolutely need 2 scoring lines next year, and a pp that doesn’t make jack do everything.

 

[MackAttack26]

Coaching, bad teammates, work ethic. Pretty much all of the above.

Pretty frustrating. He is an amazing player. But we have seen what he COULD be (remember that month or so earlier this season when he was an absolute beast).

I need to see that Eichel for a lot longer than a month or two span at a time. Maybe that will come more consistently when the team is good and he has more reason to give 110% but if we want to go anywhere this next decade, we need THAT Jack Eichel

 

[OkimLom]

First and foremost, Eichel is holding himself back IMO. This may strange, but when I watch him play, it just looks like he's playing with the attitude of "I don't want to show off and appear to be better than everybody else". It's that same attitude you see with guys in Beer Leagues that are quite obviously too good for that particular league but want to get a skate in.

Honestly, he's a guy that constantly needs to be pushed and motivated to be better. Even if you have to tell him, "Eichel, you're not that good" in hopes of him getting the motivation to prove you wrong, you have to kind of give him a wake up call. I would love for him to kick his training up a notch, and not just focus on the training in the weight room, but raise his level of training. Go train with the McDavid's, Marchand's, and MacKinnon's of the league. More time training in tight, against elite players.

IMO, Eichel could be an easy 2 PPG player (I've said 4 PPG before and still think so). He needs to tweak his mindset and the areas he tries to play in on the ice. Make guys take penalties on you. He's as strong as anybody in the league, he's faster than mostly everybody in the league. If he's not making it hard for guys to stop him going to the net/crease, then Jack is not trying hard enough.

There are other areas of the team than can have an impact on his numbers, but at the end of the day, Jack can only control his actions and his attitude. It's on him to get better.

 

[Team Cozens]

I think, based on the tape, it’s 2 things

1) frustration at the talent around him. This one is clear as day. Every game I’ve ever seen him play, at some point, he’ll turn on his jets and try to make a play. When it works, he works. When it doesn’t, he knows that no other line is going to create something, so the sulk begins.

2) youth; he’s had the weight of the world on his shoulders since he’s been here. Dahlin was a great get to take some pressure off, but he’s also Swedish, and building up his english, and hasn’t taken enough attention from jack yet.

This team needs actual leadership to support jack. Bogo is too crap and too injured to be taken seriously as a leader, and Okposo can’t produce like a t6
Guy anymore. I think if we had Bergeron and chara, jack would’ve already scored 100+ points. Respected veterans who can still play, and support jack.

We also just need more talent. Jack would also have 100+ points on Toronto. We absolutely need 2 scoring lines next year, and a pp that doesn’t make jack do everything.

Other teams get to focus on shutting Jack down. We have terrible secondary scoring and other team
take advantage of it. WHEN we ice an actual 2nd and 3rd line it will really free Jack up.
Separating Reinhart from Jack is a huge start as will an improved Mittelstadt next season.
Adding a 2C is Botts main offseason focus.

 

[BananaSquad]

Other team get to focus on shutting Jack down. We have terrible secondary scoring and other team
take advantage of it. WHEN we ice an actual 2nd and 3rd line it will really free Jack up.
Separating Reinhart from Jack is a huge start as will an improved Mittelstadt next season.
Adding a 2C is Botts main offseason focus.

This. Jack gets every teams best night after night. Matthews up in Toronto let’s JT take on that and let’s Kadri take on the other teams best.

 

[old kummelweck]

He's probably the most analyzed player on the Sabres from a film and coaching perspective by opposing teams. They continue to analyze what has been effective by other teams, and are coaching their players to mimic where other teams have learned to shut him down. Sabres coaching is part of it, but I would argue it's what is being done in the video sessions to break down how teams are effective in keeping him off the score sheet and him developing his game to stay ahead of the curve. His speed and skill have carried him this far, but teams are shifting to more mobile D and better/faster skaters. He isn't adjusting.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

His playing strengths are not well suited to the Sabres' system. An unquestionable transition talent, he plays for a team that doesn't use its wingers to force neutral zone turnovers. Other teams bait Buffalo into getting the puck to a lone forward, feign zone entry and then collapse leading to possession change.

Given his size I sometimes wonder what he'd be like as a 90s style dump and chase forward, and then I slap myself.

He's smart, but he's not being coached to see the consequences of his decisions. The team makes first order decisions. This worked for Skinner-Eichel until other teams adapted. They haven't been given much in the way of updates.

 

[jc17]

Lousy teammates
Lousy coaching

If the bottom 9 did anything productive this year no one would consider jack held back

 

[Dubi Doo]

Meaningless games in the last 1/3 of the season havent helped his development. We saw him taking the next step when the team was competitive. May have just been a hot streak for him, but I truly believe those competitive games gave the entire team more motivation to perform. The will to compete is non-existent now.

 

[EichHart]

This. Jack gets every teams best night after night. Matthews up in Toronto let’s JT take on that and let’s Kadri take on the other teams best.

Edmonton, Florida, Boston, Colorado, etc...are also basically one line teams and all have players putting up much higher points then Eichel. He has not lived up to his draft position. He is not as good as we thought he would be. His attitude also sucks. There are 12 people with 90+ pts this year. He was supposed to be a top 5 NHL player, and is just not that player.

 

[BananaSquad]

Edmonton, Florida, Boston, Colorado, etc...are also basically one line teams and all have players putting up much higher points then Eichel. He has not lived up to his draft position. He is not as good as we thought he would be. His attitude also sucks. There are 12 people with 90+ pts this year. He was supposed to be a top 5 NHL player, and is just not that player.

Boston really? Lol. Florida way more depth than us. Edmonton and Colorado have a couple 90-100 point wingers to go with their franchise centres LOL

 

[GellMann]

If his hockey sense were as good as his physical abilities he'd be Mario Lemieux. I think that's the main thing.

 

[sincerity0]

Not sure what other answers there are. Jack has played four years now on a team that has consistently struggled to score without him on the ice. He’s playing his 4th year where upwards of 50% of the games have been meaningless.

We see Eichel produce in what “big” games Buffalo has played.

It’s the supporting cast and coaches.

 

[EichHart]

Boston really? Lol. Florida way more depth than us. Edmonton and Colorado have a couple 90-100 point wingers to go with their franchise centres LOL

Why can't Skinner or Reinhart be 90-100 Pt wingers? They're both elite talents. Is it because Eichel is just not as good as those other centers? He's a top 20-30 player in the league. He is not a top 5 player like we all envisioned him to be. He gives up on so many plays. McDavid is the first player up the ice and the first back. I'm sick of hearing about supporting cast when he gets how much PP time in comparison to other league stars? He also got to play with Skinner (elite goal scorer) and Reinhart (#2 pick) the majority of the season. There are no excuses, hes overrated.

 

[BananaSquad]

Why can't Skinner or Reinhart be 90-100 Pt wingers? They're both elite talents. Is it because Eichel is just not as good as those other centers? He's a top 20-30 player in the league. He is not a top 5 player like we all envisioned him to be. He gives up on so many plays. McDavid is the first player up the ice and the first back. I'm sick of hearing about supporting cast when he gets how much PP time in comparison to other league stars? He also got to play with Skinner (elite goal scorer) and Reinhart (#2 pick) the majority of the season. There are no excuses, hes overrated.

Cuz Reinhart and Skinner aren’t as good as Rantanen and Draisitl... maybe those 2 should show up more but they can’t.

 

[stokes84]

He (and this team) play like they have to force feed the game through Jack, rather than him being a piece of the machine and letting the game come to him. He always tries to direct traffic and control the pace of play, when sometimes he needs to let that come naturally and pick his spots.

 

[Aladyyn]

Health needs to be mentioned at some point.

 

[1972]

I don't know if I can buy the bad team argument. Guys like Rantanen, Kane, MacKinnon, McDavid and Draisaitl are consistently getting it done on bad hockey teams. I think one of the biggest things with Jack is that when he gets frustrated he becomes too much of a puck hog and runs out of options, at the top of the game his decision making is so much quicker.

I think getting Jack an elite high hockey IQ strong winger would make a massive difference, I don't think he trusts wingers enough to be able to get the puck back to him after deferring it, he's generally only played with tunnel vision scoring wingers.

Getting him a Hughes or Kakko I think would be a big deal.

 

[WpgBuffan]

He really needs to use his speed a little more. At times he slows the game down when he should get going hard so that the other team respects his speed and backs off. Then once he is in the offensive zone he needs to get to the net more. Too many shots from outside. Buffalo does not get enough high danger chances and he is a reason for that.

 

[stokes84]

I don't know if I can buy the bad team argument. Guys like Rantanen, Kane, MacKinnon, McDavid and Draisaitl are consistently getting it done on bad hockey teams. I think one of the biggest things with Jack is that when he gets frustrated he becomes too much of a puck hog and runs out of options, at the top of the game his decision making is so much quicker.

I think getting Jack an elite high hockey IQ strong winger would make a massive difference, I don't think he trusts wingers enough to be able to get the puck back to him after deferring it, he's generally only played with tunnel vision scoring wingers.

Getting him a Hughes or Kakko I think would be a big deal.

Another forward who can skate the puck in transition and find the pass would be huge. Skinner can skate the puck, but can’t find the pass. Reinhart can find the pass, but can’t skate and create space. This player doesn’t even need to be on his line, but the team is just so one dimensional right now, but that it’s too easy just to cue on Jack.

 

[1972]

Olofsson should have been given a look with Jack a long time ago, IMO he’s ready to score at this level.

 

[1972]

Another forward who can skate the puck in transition and find the pass would be huge. Skinner can skate the puck, but can’t find the pass. Reinhart can find the pass, but can’t skate and create space. This player doesn’t even need to be on his line, but the team is just so one dimensional right now, but that it’s too easy just to cue on Jack.

Developing Casey as a winger for Jack and Sam as a centre could fix that issue.

 

[OkimLom]

I don't know if I can buy the bad team argument. Guys like Rantanen, Kane, MacKinnon, McDavid and Draisaitl are consistently getting it done on bad hockey teams. I think one of the biggest things with Jack is that when he gets frustrated he becomes too much of a puck hog and runs out of options, at the top of the game his decision making is so much quicker.

I think getting Jack an elite high hockey IQ strong winger would make a massive difference, I don't think he trusts wingers enough to be able to get the puck back to him after deferring it, he's generally only played with tunnel vision scoring wingers.

Getting him a Hughes or Kakko I think would be a big deal.

I've said for a couple seasons now but TJ Oshie would be such a great fit with Jack.