Player Discussion Jack Eichel Part 1

[BananaSquad]

I think he's all in with Krueger and is going to try to do whatever it takes as long as Krueger's here. If Krueger goes I think Jack will want out.

I agree but he really wants to win here bad. I don’t see Krueger going anywhere anytime soon anyways .

 

[jd1970]

That is what I proposed. In today's day and age a package consisting of an elite/top 10 prospect in the game today, an A level prospect (prospect drafted in the 1st round within the last 3 drafts who is still on track to be a top 6f/top 4D), 3 unprotected 1st round picks and a 55+ point top line/top 6 forward is pretty close to a Lindros return in the cap era. I mean no one has brought back a package that big in the last 15 years . Hell, Joe Thornton who was a superstar center brought back far less.

I mean we have 6.5 years left of Eichel. He is gone after this contract. He wants to win not be a superstar in a 3rd rate city/and 4th rate franchise. We can't win with a superstar so if we have to rebuild getting 5 top young assets and a replacement top 6 forward is good enough for me if Jack does request a trade. He has done everything humanly possible to help the team win..If he wants out you honor that request as long as there is someone willing to pay fair value.

Something like Alex Iafallo + Alex Turcotte + Gabe Vilardi + 3 unprotected 1st round picks from LA is a return I would be OK with.

The problem is, Eichel shows no signs of wanting to get out of here.
It would be akin to him saying he's not a generational, franchise player.

 

[jd1970]

is all in on RK. As mad as we are at the losing, the team is playing better hockey on the ice. .

On this date last year, the Sabres were 21-13-6.
They've regressed.

 

[Chainshot]

Two things -



And then how he celebrates the goal -- gathering everyone.

 

[Tatanka]

Two things -



And then how he celebrates the goal -- gathering everyone.

His demeanor in the post game interview was definitely indicative of his belief he wasn’t good. Hard on himself. Sometimes too hard.

 

[Aladyyn]

His demeanor in the post game interview was definitely indicative of his belief he wasn’t good. Hard on himself. Sometimes too hard.

As long as he doesn't say he needs to be better it's fine.

 

[tsujimoto74]

His demeanor in the post game interview was definitely indicative of his belief he wasn’t good. Hard on himself. Sometimes too hard.

Eh, he should want to be the best player on the ice every single game. And it should come to fruition more often than not. As longs as he just acknowledges and moves on to the next one when he has a rough game, rather than sulking, I don't see a problem there.

 

[Revelate]

It's not a secret that our Penalty Kill has killed us this season. This is definitely due to our goalies to some extent. But one thing i think we can do to show marginal improvement is to shift some of Eichel's 5v5 minutes to PK time. My justification for that is he gets some of the best results of any forward we have down a man. His xGA/60 is 5.1 vs. 7.25 for Johan Larsson which is significant over a large sample size. Probably some of this can be attributed to sample size and that he tends to come on for the last shift of the PK, but to me it makes sense that he would be a great PKer. Footspeed, reach, threat to go the other way, smarts.

Now take Johan. Intuitively you understand why he gets selected for the PK. He is our best defensive forward at even strength. However, i think PK duty magnifies some of his physical limitations (all the things Eichel has, he lacks (besides the smarts). Meanwhile Larsson is driving pretty incredible results at even strength, with 59% GF% on the year against decent competition. So to me it makes sense that we might get better results as a team by giving Larsson's PK time to Eichel, and a few minutes of Eichel's 5v5 time to Larsson, as counter-intuitive as that seems.

If you look at some of the best PKs in the league it's quite common to see "stars" killing Penalties - Aho, Teravainen, Bergeron, Hertl, Couture, Stone, ROR. I think we need to get on this train.

 

[dortt]

It's not a secret that our Penalty Kill has killed us this season. This is definitely due to our goalies to some extent. But one thing i think we can do to show marginal improvement is to shift some of Eichel's 5v5 minutes to PK time. My justification for that is he gets some of the best results of any forward we have down a man. His xGA/60 is 5.1 vs. 7.25 for Johan Larsson which is significant over a large sample size. Probably some of this can be attributed to sample size and that he tends to come on for the last shift of the PK, but to me it makes sense that he would be a great PKer. Footspeed, reach, threat to go the other way, smarts.

Now take Johan. Intuitively you understand why he gets selected for the PK. He is our best defensive forward at even strength. However, i think PK duty magnifies some of his physical limitations (all the things Eichel has, he lacks (besides the smarts). Meanwhile Larsson is driving pretty incredible results at even strength, with 59% GF% on the year against decent competition. So to me it makes sense that we might get better results as a team by giving Larsson's PK time to Eichel, and a few minutes of Eichel's 5v5 time to Larsson, as counter-intuitive as that seems.

If you look at some of the best PKs in the league it's quite common to see "stars" killing Penalties - Aho, Teravainen, Bergeron, Hertl, Couture, Stone, ROR. I think we need to get on this train.

yep. At the very least, he should be out there if we are down 5 on 3 as he can actually gain possession and keep possession for a few seconds.

Maybe not use Jack for every PK, but use him when we need him, either late in a period, or when we are preserving a lead (plus, for any 5 on 3 against situations)

And as he showed against Tampa, he is a threat to score as well on the PK, just as he is at the end of the game with an empty net

 

[Tatanka]

Cut the chase put the big pads on him.

 

[sabremike]

Every time I see this thread bumped I keep hoping it's because the team has announced they have managed to clone him and solve our second line center problem.

 

[NorCalhockey]

Cut the chase put the big pads on him.

LOL! Flashback to the time Wiki listed Jack for every position in the organization! Too funny.

 

[MightyMuffins]

I mentioned this on twitter in the final game day tweet the Sabres did tonight. I really feel bad for Jack now. I think it's apparent for those of us watching this Blues game that he's just beyond frustrated now and you can see he does have that "what more do I have to do guys" look on his face. It's not one of dejected as much as I think he's just at this point just given up that he will ever have the true help he needs to win and for us to be a playoff team.

If he requests a trade I wouldn't blame him. He's done everything right for us but management has failed him time and time again. It's really getting sad and we are almost in an Andrew Luck situation where they didn't give Luck help and eventually it killed his interest for the game. Not saying Jack will lose interest but at some point losing just gets to you. I mean it happened for 17 years for out Bills before we got lucky and since then we have been on the uptick....but those 17 years....everyone hated playing here.


Like LITERALLY we are the Colts right now. Jack or bust...like the Colts did with Luck...him or bust. It doesn't work like that.

 

[Fjordy]

They just have to immediately fired Botterill and appoint two competent people to the positions of GM and the president of hockey ops, thereby showing Jack that we will try to win in the near future, otherwise this guy will simply ask for trading after another season without a playoff, because Botterill is an idiot, maybe he has some kind of great and long-term plan for 10 years ahead, but it doesn’t work like that.

 

[sabrebuild]

I feel bad for him. I remember the idiots saying O'Reilly should be traded and now it's Jack's team. Nobody can or should have to do it on their own.

 

[OkimLom]

I feel bad for him. I remember the idiots saying O'Reilly should be traded and now it's Jack's team. Nobody can or should have to do it on their own.

I hated when people said that. It was always Jack's team. The moment when he was drafted it was his. It's why there was some team friction when Gionta was captain.

 

[K8fool]

It would be the rookie ownwr move of all time and would cause us to become the Hawaii box jellyfish or something.. It aint happening.. He will just show his displeasure on the ice like laat year

I think like someone said here he's past denial and bargaining and is accepting he must get the nhl pundits to help him and shame botteril by becoming babe ruth . the pegulas are not making that mistake after dunking dough nutty man.. Please take a step back off the ledge.. The pegulas dont know opera and dont seem to have a babe on the side starring as Nanette.

 

[Chainshot]

I hated when people said that. It was always Jack's team. The moment when he was drafted it was his. It's why there was some team friction when Gionta was captain.

And there is some evidence that Jack needed to grow up, to take the counsel of veterans who prepare well and treat this like a career instead of just as a game. It wasn't his team until he grew into it. He seemingly has. It just took a while.

 

[Snippit]

He has quietly put up another 7 game point streak.

He only went pointless for 2 games after the 18-gamer before starting another.

100 will be hard (he needs 41 in 36) but doable - he needs to play at a 93.3 point pace the rest of the way.

 

[MGIII]

He has quietly put up another 7 game point streak.

He only went pointless for 2 games after the 18-gamer before starting another.

100 will be hard (he needs 41 in 36) but doable - he needs to play at a 93.3 point pace the rest of the way.

that's roughly his current pace now so he can probably pull it off, especially when Goaloffson comes back.

 

[Snippit]

that's roughly his current pace now so he can probably pull it off, especially when Goaloffson comes back.

My concern is that the Sabres will be out of the playoff race pretty soon. It’ll be harder for him to get motivated at that point. Saw it happen last year.

 

[ForsbergMoDo21]

It's not a secret that our Penalty Kill has killed us this season. This is definitely due to our goalies to some extent. But one thing i think we can do to show marginal improvement is to shift some of Eichel's 5v5 minutes to PK time. My justification for that is he gets some of the best results of any forward we have down a man. His xGA/60 is 5.1 vs. 7.25 for Johan Larsson which is significant over a large sample size. Probably some of this can be attributed to sample size and that he tends to come on for the last shift of the PK, but to me it makes sense that he would be a great PKer. Footspeed, reach, threat to go the other way, smarts.

Now take Johan. Intuitively you understand why he gets selected for the PK. He is our best defensive forward at even strength. However, i think PK duty magnifies some of his physical limitations (all the things Eichel has, he lacks (besides the smarts). Meanwhile Larsson is driving pretty incredible results at even strength, with 59% GF% on the year against decent competition. So to me it makes sense that we might get better results as a team by giving Larsson's PK time to Eichel, and a few minutes of Eichel's 5v5 time to Larsson, as counter-intuitive as that seems.

If you look at some of the best PKs in the league it's quite common to see "stars" killing Penalties - Aho, Teravainen, Bergeron, Hertl, Couture, Stone, ROR. I think we need to get on this train.

I remember reading a comment from Hitchcock about why he had Nash killing penalties in Columbus. It was essentially “you want your best players playing in all situations.” Made sense to me. Game breakers are game breakers.

And there is some evidence that Jack needed to grow up, to take the counsel of veterans who prepare well and treat this like a career instead of just as a game. It wasn't his team until he grew into it. He seemingly has. It just took a while.

I would say it’s taken the appropriate/expected amount of time for that to happen. He’s definitely grown a lot and is truly carrying the team. Maybe a little more maturity to come. Crazy to remember he’s just 23 still.

 

[Buffaloed]

Eichel's comments about Krueger after last night's 4-2 win vs Vegas:
"The group just responds to Ralph so well and the message he delivers. Especially after games like St. Louis and Vancouver where I think we get away from our identity a little bit and we don't do the things that make us successful, Ralph is able to hone the group in so well and get us to play the game we know we need to play to win. It starts with protecting our net and the house around our goalie. Transition well and play in their end. He's been so good at bringing us back, getting us all back on the same page and bought in. He kind of just hits the reset button. He doesn't carry his emotions over. Maybe he's mad at us for our performances here and there but he never carries it over. He just brings such a good attitude to the rink every day and it just flows through the locker room."

Krueger deserves a lot of credit for getting Jack on the right track. Another year of Housley could have set him back.

 

[Jim Bob]

 

[Kyndig]

"and scores a backhand goal." The fact that they think its a backhand goal is why I like this goal so much. Eichel goes backhand to forehand and puts the puck into the net faster than you can blink.