Is Jack Eichel a lazy superstar?

[LeafFever]

Aha I just found out Eichel is going to make 10 million next year.

Career high of 57 points and even now, his best start he's still only pace for 66 points. How on earth did he get that!? Based on what!

Wow. What a horrible overpayment. His agent deserves a medal, but his 1 million a year in commission will do too, I'm sure.

And his agent claimed he left money on the table.

 

[bodechek]

Don't all superstars get lazy after they have secured their next contract? That period seems to end during the final season of the current contract and it is time to renegotiate the next one.

 

[meefer]

Watching every minute of almost every game this year he stands out regardless of the results. Evander Kane is a blessing and a curse. He’s scoring but he kills so many more possessions with wild shots instead of finding an open man. Eichel has 2-3 beautiful setups per game. He struggles sometimes with consistent effort on the back check, but that is an easy fix. The stuff you can’t teach is off the charts. He looked very dominant yesterday against EDM in both ends.

Thanks kindly. Would you say the negative press stuff has been overblown, or is there merit? i.e. the coach killer etc.

 

[Grandrift145]

Jack does so much for that team

 

[LeafFever]

Jack does so much for that team

He leads them to last place.

 

[Crede777]

He is the new Rick Nash.

 

[LeafFever]

He is the new Rick Nash.

Pretty much. Nash in Columbus was ridiculously overrated.

 

[Mattilaus]

Thanks kindly. Would you say the negative press stuff has been overblown, or is there merit? i.e. the coach killer etc.

They are overblown but not entirely false. The negative press usually comes from the hacks at Buffalo News who literally look for every reason to print something negative or sources outside of Buffalo. The sources outside of Buffalo don't watch every game understandably. Right now, Eichel has a consistency problem. If you tune in for a game when the Sabres are getting worked then Eichel will look poor. If you tuned in last night when the Sabres were playing well then he looked excellent at both ends of the rink. Consistency is something all/most young players struggle with. Eichel has been a world beater based purely on his skill and physicality for most of his young hockey career. In the NHL however this isn't enough. He is learning this on a bad team and I don't think I would be the only Sabres fan to say he has improved defensively quite a bit this season. Bylsma got fired because he was terrible. Did Eichel have something to do with it? Maybe, but there were also several reports that the whole team felt that way and asked Eichel to bring the issue forward. So what do you do? Be a coward and say no? Or do it and be labelled a coach killer?

The issues with the team are why Murray and Bylsma were fired. All you need to do is look at our D corps(e) last year and then evaluate that vs. what it could have been with all our picks and traded players. People are clamoring for firing Chia in Edmonton for the exact same reasons but when Buffalo is in the same situation and does fire management then all of a sudden someone is a coach killer etc. etc.

So in summary, Eichel has been struggling a little with consistency which leads to him getting frustrated sometimes. Nobody will argue this. But he has improved defensively and is starting to be trusted in more situations (his short handed TOI has doubled this year and him and kane on the PK have led to a couple nice SHGs). He still needs to work on consistency and giving the effort he is capable of 100% of the time, but yes the press has overblown how bad it is. Our problem has been goaltending and the fact that we have already used something like 10 or 11 D men this year when we have probably the poorest D depth in the NHL (Once again, thanks to Tim Murray).

 

[LeafFever]

They are overblown but not entirely false. The negative press usually comes from the hacks at Buffalo News who literally look for every reason to print something negative or sources outside of Buffalo. The sources outside of Buffalo don't watch every game understandably. Right now, Eichel has a consistency problem. If you tune in for a game when the Sabres are getting worked then Eichel will look poor. If you tuned in last night when the Sabres were playing well then he looked excellent at both ends of the rink. Consistency is something all/most young players struggle with. Eichel has been a world beater based purely on his skill and physicality for most of his young hockey career. In the NHL however this isn't enough. He is learning this on a bad team and I don't think I would be the only Sabres fan to say he has improved defensively quite a bit this season. Bylsma got fired because he was terrible. Did Eichel have something to do with it? Maybe, but there were also several reports that the whole team felt that way and asked Eichel to bring the issue forward. So what do you do? Be a coward and say no? Or do it and be labelled a coach killer?

The issues with the team are why Murray and Bylsma were fired. All you need to do is look at our D corps(e) last year and then evaluate that vs. what it could have been with all our picks and traded players.

So in summary, Eichel has been struggling a little with consistency which leads to him getting frustrated sometimes. Nobody will argue this. But he has improved defensively and is starting to be trusted in more situations (his short handed TOI has doubled this year and him and kane on the PK have led to a couple nice SHGs). He still needs to work on consistency and giving the effort he is capable of 100% of the time, but yes the press has overblown how bad it is. Our problem has been goaltending and the fact that we have already used something like 10 or 11 D men this year when we have probably the poorest D depth in the NHL (Once again, thanks to Tim Murray).

I don't even think Eichel is getting much negative press given the situation.

 

[Petrus]

In the limited games I have seen, Eichel is such a dynamic talent.

I can appreciate he has areas to improve, however any team would love to have this guy as a foundational piece.

Call it inconsistency, lazy and immature or whatever, but from my perspective this is all comes down to leadership in the organization. Under the right coaching and guidance this guy is a top 5 or 10 player in a league.

I am hoping Buffalo can steer the ship in a better direction and unlock all of Eichel’s potential. It would make much more of an entertaining division/conference/league.

 

[Sabreskin]

In the limited games I have seen, Eichel is such a dynamic talent.

I can appreciate he has areas to improve, however any team would love to have this guy as a foundational piece.

Call it inconsistency, lazy and immature or whatever, but from my perspective this is all comes down to leadership in the organization. Under the right coaching and guidance this guy is a top 5 or 10 player in a league.

I am hoping Buffalo can steer the ship in a better direction and unlock all of Eichel’s potential. It would make much more of an entertaining division/conference/league.

Totally agree with you sir!

 

[SabresSharks]

Asking the Sabres fans here: is Eichel a symptom of the problems you're having, or a cause? He's got too much talent to ignore the superstar label but from what I read he's a bit of a headcase. He's one of those players I can't figure out.

Strictly my opinion ...

He was the best player on the ice practically every game he ever played, so the holes in his game that became obvious in the NHL - consistent effort, defensive awareness, playing without the puck - were never addressed. One wonders if the first freshman Hobey Baker winner since Paul Kariya was ever on the ice with a coach telling him "okay, Jack, we're going to work on your defensive game today".

Because the game has always been so easy for him, he's easily, and visibly, frustrated when a play doesn't work. Self-motivated players instantly adopt a defensive posture. Jack tends to hesitate before reacting; his body language betrays his frustration. There is some emotional immaturity involved here as well.

On the other hand, he can backcheck like a demon, easily chasing down an opponent's rush with his incredible speed. We've seen him do it many times, but too often we've seen him coast and watch in similar situations. Eichel deserves to be labeled "lazy" and "apathetic" for plays like that. Moreover, what lesser teammate wants to follow that example of "leadership"?

What he needs is a more experienced, highly skilled player as a role model, and/or a coach who will give him the tough love he needs to correct his flaws. Unfortunately, he's so skilled that everybody on the team tends to defer to him. That doesn't help fix problems that were apparent early in his rookie season two years ago.

It's a shame. This kid is by far the best player on the team, but he could be so much better, as a player and a leader.

 

[Kamiccolo]

In the limited games I have seen, Eichel is such a dynamic talent.

I can appreciate he has areas to improve, however any team would love to have this guy as a foundational piece.

Call it inconsistency, lazy and immature or whatever, but from my perspective this is all comes down to leadership in the organization. Under the right coaching and guidance this guy is a top 5 or 10 player in a league.

I am hoping Buffalo can steer the ship in a better direction and unlock all of Eichel’s potential. It would make much more of an entertaining division/conference/league.

Disagree. Cup winning teams have one thing in common. Culture. Everyone buys in, everything is for the team, there are no individuals. Eichel very much is an individual, with clear attitude issues. As you mentioned a lot of blame goes to poor leadership in Buffalo giving him everything without him earning it. The issue is now this behavior is implanted in him. He is like Kessel, very skilled player, but you need someone better than him on the team, and he needs 5 or 6 years to grow up.

I don't think GM's are lining up for him due to his contract and attitude.

 

[threeVo]

Disagree. Cup winning teams have one thing in common. Culture. Everyone buys in, everything is for the team, there are no individuals. Eichel very much is an individual, with clear attitude issues. As you mentioned a lot of blame goes to poor leadership in Buffalo giving him everything without him earning it. The issue is now this behavior is implanted in him. He is like Kessel, very skilled player, but you need someone better than him on the team, and he needs 5 or 6 years to grow up.

I don't think GM's are lining up for him due to his contract and attitude.

Tell us more about what goes on inside the locker room. 30 GMs make an offer if he’s available.

 

[Mattilaus]

Tell us more about what goes on inside the locker room. 30 GMs make an offer if he’s available.

Don't waste your breath (typing?). Some people just hate and he is one of them with regard to the Sabres. Sabres could trade Matt Moulson for McDavid tomorrow and he would find a way to say Buffalo got the worse of the deal.

 

[OccasionalPoster]

I am not sure if it's being lazy or being demoralized. I suspect the latter.

 

[93LEAFS]

Strictly my opinion ...

He was the best player on the ice practically every game he ever played, so the holes in his game that became obvious in the NHL - consistent effort, defensive awareness, playing without the puck - were never addressed. One wonders if the first freshman Hobey Baker winner since Paul Kariya was ever on the ice with a coach telling him "okay, Jack, we're going to work on your defensive game today".

Because the game has always been so easy for him, he's easily, and visibly, frustrated when a play doesn't work. Self-motivated players instantly adopt a defensive posture. Jack tends to hesitate before reacting; his body language betrays his frustration. There is some emotional immaturity involved here as well.

On the other hand, he can backcheck like a demon, easily chasing down an opponent's rush with his incredible speed. We've seen him do it many times, but too often we've seen him coast and watch in similar situations. Eichel deserves to be labeled "lazy" and "apathetic" for plays like that. Moreover, what lesser teammate wants to follow that example of "leadership"?

What he needs is a more experienced, highly skilled player as a role model, and/or a coach who will give him the tough love he needs to correct his flaws. Unfortunately, he's so skilled that everybody on the team tends to defer to him. That doesn't help fix problems that were apparent early in his rookie season two years ago.

It's a shame. This kid is by far the best player on the team, but he could be so much better, as a player and a leader.

The thing is, most top players went through life like this. I'd say McDavid, Matthews, Tavares, MacKinnon, and Stamkos went through this growing up in the NA development system (I chose these guys, as they are probably the most comparable to him in regard to status as a prospect entering the league since the 2004/2005 lockout). Hell, even for Matthews in Switzerland he was probably the best player on the ice almost all the time. I'm sure he was constantly challenged on his defensive game while at the USNTDP, especially when playing up in the college exhibitions.

Now, the thing is, these things are correctable, and he's shown a willingness to do these things when he has wanted to. But, playing in such a frustrating situation has to eat at someone as competitive as Eichel. The big thing is, he has to see that making a consistent effort to be a solid defensively is needed to help change the culture of the Sabres now that he is in his 3rd year and about to be paid like an elite NHLer. No one expects him to be perfect, even the best defensive forwards make mistakes in their early 20's, but having the willingness is something in his control. Now, he has the skills to easily be this generations Pierre Turgeon if he just wants to be a scorer, but I assume he and Sabres fans want a hell of a lot more than that, and he has the skill to do it, its just the consistent day to day effort that isn't.

 

[Snippit]

18/19 of Jack's points have been primary and came at ES or SH.
(19th point was secondary, on the PP)

Would like to see more consistent effort but that stat line is actually quite impressive.

Curious to see how it ranks in the NHL - can't find any website that has primary points ranking at ES though

 

[Kamiccolo]

Tell us more about what goes on inside the locker room. 30 GMs make an offer if he’s available.

You don't need to know what goes on inside it, look at what happens on the ice and outside the room. Attitude and entitlement issues as far back as the draft. He told the Sabres he wouldn't report unless they promised him a spot in the NHL. He got a coach and GM fired. He gives half assed efforts on the ice. His mannerisms and expressions are clearly those of someone with an attitude, reminiscent of a toddler not getting a candy bar at the check out.

No way do I introduce his ego and entitlement to a winning locker room. Only teams who make an offer are those without a star or winning team who think they can reform him.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

18/19 of Jack's points have been primary and came at ES or SH.
(19th point was secondary, on the PP)

Would like to see more consistent effort but that stat line is actually quite impressive.

Curious to see how it ranks in the NHL - can't find any website that has primary points ranking at ES though

at 5 on 5, Eichel is tied for 3rd in the league with Voracek at 15. Only Schwartz (16) and Kucherov (18) have more 5 on 5 primary points. That is definitely impressive

 

[Snippit]

at 5 on 5, Eichel is tied for 3rd in the league with Voracek at 15. Only Schwartz (16) and Kucherov (18) have more ES primary points. That is definitely impressive

Thanks. Is there a website that has those rankings?

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Thanks. Is there a website that has those rankings?

yeah corsica

 

[TheDoldrums]

Eichel producing more at 5v5 is a good sign. Last year he got a lot of his points on the PP. Bylsma justifiably got a lot of criticism, but whoever was designing the Sabres PP last season was doing a heck of a job.

 

[dire wolf]

Eichel producing more at 5v5 is a good sign. Last year he got a lot of his points on the PP. Bylsma justifiably got a lot of criticism, but whoever was designing the Sabres PP last season was doing a heck of a job.

That was Bob Woods, who is now with Minny. Buffalo's PP has gone from #1 last year to #30 this year with all of the same players. Minny's PP is #8 this year and their PK is #3. I think I heard that Woods runs their PK.

 

[DrJustice]

So I guess if Jack Eichel actually tried he'd be the best player in the league.

All of the attacks on Eichel as a person are very uncalled for and from what I can see pretty unfounded. So because a player sounded frustrated after a loss they are a lockerroom cancer? Nonsense.

The accusations that he personally got the coach (who wasn't good) and the GM (who wasn't good) fired are comically based on pure conjecture and projections of who you think Jack Eichel is, not actual fact.

The Sabres might have problems, but Jack Eichel is the least of those problems.