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

[dotcommunism]

Cut the f***ing personal attacks already.

 

[Puppa2Miller]

Obviously. I see a spoiled bratty selfish wanna be super star who has avoided every single bit of ownership of the disaster he's been a big part of... while everyone around him continues to take the fall.

So yea... that rumor aligns with what I see.

I hope they give the Captaincy to someone else... and make him earn something for once in his career.

The spoiled brats are the O'Reilly clan. ROR was a PITA for the Avalanche franchise and competed with rather than helped along the younger players here. He got jealous of contracts, media attention, and whatever storm clouds of the day he could find. Don't get me started on his brother, who got a gift of a retirement package from the Pegula family, and still refused to help down in Rochester once it was obvious he was not going to help the Sabres. A less grateful clan is not to be found.

The O'Reillys are gone and Dahlin doesn't have to witness this BS. Time for Reinhart and Eichel to sink or swim rather than have a teammate attempt to drown them in tears.

 

[sabrebuild]

St Louis beat reporter was on WGR this morning and Jeremy White brought up 'vague' reports about issues between ROR and Eichel. Here's what he had to say. And I posted something similar here a while ago from a guy who claims he has inside sources but a mod deleted it.

Never heard a teammate say a bad word about O’Reilly here, or Colorado or world championships...

 

[OkimLom]

Andy Strickland on wgr talking about vets around the league having a “problem” with Eichel, whatever that means.

If true, when are we moving him. I mean, we're now caring about the culture, right? Guys?

 

[stokes84]

If true, when are we moving him. I mean, we're now caring about the culture, right? Guys?

That's the point of bringing in players like Tage Thompson, that fit the culture that we want to build, and moving out curmudgeons like O'Reilly, who get upset that someone might have a personality.

 

[OkimLom]

That's the point of bringing in players like Tage Thompson, that fit the culture that we want to build, and moving out curmudgeons like O'Reilly, who get upset that someone might have a personality.

There's a difference between culture and personality.

 

[Samsonite23]

The spoiled brats are the O'Reilly clan. ROR was a PITA for the Avalanche franchise and competed with rather than helped along the younger players here. He got jealous of contracts, media attention, and whatever storm clouds of the day he could find. Don't get me started on his brother, who got a gift of a retirement package from the Pegula family, and still refused to help down in Rochester once it was obvious he was not going to help the Sabres. A less grateful clan is not to be found.

The O'Reillys are gone and Dahlin doesn't have to witness this BS. Time for Reinhart and Eichel to sink or swim rather than have a teammate attempt to drown them in tears.

He held practices specifically to help young players improve... How do you come to that conclusion?

Cal is a POS.

 

[GellMann]

Bold prediction: Someday we're going to be good, with the problem children that are devastating our locker room, and then suddenly we won't have a locker room problem anymore.

Or...in our quest to build a team of choir boys who love losing and don't express distress at the situation that was this season we completely forget that building a trash team is the reason all the problems happen in the first place.

 

[sabrebuild]

That's the point of bringing in players like Tage Thompson, that fit the culture that we want to build, and moving out curmudgeons like O'Reilly, who get upset that someone might have a personality.

What basis do you have for believing Thompson is going to fit our “culture” of which we have none?

What do we think is more likely, a vet could get annoyed with a young guy having “personality” or dogging it on defense for 3 years in a row?

I’m not even saying that’s what happened, but this blind loyalty to the outcome we want to believe in is gross.

Let’s assume that O’Reilly was a huge problem. Sure. But that doesn’t follow that anyone we bring in for him will be some amazing locker room guy, particularly a young guy who has barely a season of professional hockey in any league.

 

[OkimLom]

Bold prediction: Someday we're going to be good, with the problem children that are devastating our locker room, and then suddenly we won't have a locker room problem anymore.

Or...in our quest to build a team of choir boys who love losing and don't express distress at the situation that was this season we completely forget that building a trash team is the reason all the problems happen in the first place.

That's a Bold Prediction Cotton...

 

[Aavvaa]

What basis do you have for believing Thompson is going to fit our “culture” of which we have none?

What do we think is more likely, a vet could get annoyed with a young guy having “personality” or dogging it on defense for 3 years in a row?

I’m not even saying that’s what happened, but this blind loyalty to the outcome we want to believe in is gross.

Let’s assume that O’Reilly was a huge problem. Sure. But that doesn’t follow that anyone we bring in for him will be some amazing locker room guy, particularly a young guy who has barely a season of professional hockey in any league.

The way people talk about ROR as a locker room cancer you'd think he'd killed someone or something

 

[joshjull]

The way people talk about ROR as a locker room cancer you'd think he'd killed someone or something

Was it with a trident?

 

[Jim Bob]

Was it with a trident?

I'm guessing that he went Honky Tonk Man and tuned Jack or Sam with one of his guitars.

 

[thewookie1]

Is it not possible for both Eichel and ROR are at fault to varying degrees? Eichel enters the league as a hot shot rookie, O'Reilly joins via trade with his eyes set at the C. However from the start Eichel is being prepped for the C. I get the sense Eichel has matured over this past year especially and ROR's weak start and Eichel getting an A put ROR on edge. Think about it, about half way through the season Eichel began becoming the defacto C whereas ROR did the majority of the captaincy honors to start. Couple this with the losing and ROR began to get disinterested and by the end was honestly hoping to be traded.

While he isn't his brother, I have no doubt he'd have some similar qualities to Cal. Cal didn't get more NHL time, so he threw a tantrum and got placed in Toronto. ROR fought with Colorado for more money and even accepted an offer sheet after his contract was up. Likely due to Landeskog being given the captaincy to some degree.

Based on his brother's behavior in combination to his own I get the sense the Captaincy means more to him than just the letter. He wants the honor and prestige that goes along with it.

What is different in the Olympics is he already knows he's outclassed by the Toews/Crosby/etc of Canada so he is willing to stand in line. However in the event of a "vacuum" he cannot stand being passed over by a less experienced player. He was in Colorado, and likely here, so he creates an escape so he may attempt it again with St. Louis when Pieterangelo retires eventually.

 

[Montag DP]

Is it not possible for both Eichel and ROR are at fault to varying degrees? Eichel enters the league as a hot shot rookie, O'Reilly joins via trade with his eyes set at the C. However from the start Eichel is being prepped for the C. I get the sense Eichel has matured over this past year especially and ROR's weak start and Eichel getting an A put ROR on edge. Think about it, about half way through the season Eichel began becoming the defacto C whereas ROR did the majority of the captaincy honors to start. Couple this with the losing and ROR began to get disinterested and by the end was honestly hoping to be traded.

While he isn't his brother, I have no doubt he'd have some similar qualities to Cal. Cal didn't get more NHL time, so he threw a tantrum and got placed in Toronto. ROR fought with Colorado for more money and even accepted an offer sheet after his contract was up. Likely due to Landeskog being given the captaincy to some degree.

Based on his brother's behavior in combination to his own I get the sense the Captaincy means more to him than just the letter. He wants the honor and prestige that goes along with it.

What is different in the Olympics is he already knows he's outclassed by the Toews/Crosby/etc of Canada so he is willing to stand in line. However in the event of a "vacuum" he cannot stand being passed over by a less experienced player. He was in Colorado, and likely here, so he creates an escape so he may attempt it again with St. Louis when Pieterangelo retires eventually.

I know your post is mostly speculation, but if he really felt that way, he has exactly one person to blame for not becoming the captain. It's not like Eichel has even been named captain yet; all ROR had to do was step up and be a leader if he wanted it.

 

[26CornerBlitz]

 

[darcyRegier]

A friend who follows Jack on ig sent me this, Jack's dumb*** forgot to put an emoji on his helmet lol:

 

[1972]

I normally wouldn't love a player like this changing numbers, but honestly I like it in this case. Jack's always been #9, and number #9 is going to look damn good on him.

 

[sincerity0]

He’s actually wearing 69

 

[Aladyyn]

Maybe Eichel really should be the GM. He makes good decisions

 

[Icicle]

gotta pay for that contract somehow

a pre/post bandwagon jersey number. I like it

 

[GellMann]

It looks great.

 

[BuffaloGooner]

Put that in royal blue next year for the 50th anniversary and it’s an insta-buy for me

 

[Gabrielor]

Looks like I’ll need a new Eichel jersey. Colored this time

 

[Zip15]

Will he achieve the Chippewa Street greatness of his numerical predecessors, Evander Kane and Derek Roy?

Looking forward to the WGR callers who speculate that Eichel did this so that Dahlin jerseys wouldn't outsell his!