The Sabres are one of the best teams in the league, and Jack Eichel still doesn’t get any love

[HappySabresFan]

He starting to get more love, it wasn't happening before because he was injured these last two seasons, played on some unwatchable teams, and played in maybe the smallest market in the NHL.

 

[ricky0034]

If you replaced Eichel with any player in NHL history at their peak do you think the Sabres would have made the play-off's the last couple of years? I sure don't think so.

just as a quick thought experiment the Sabres had a horrific -81 goal differential last year and that's with Eichel putting up 64 points,even making the generous assumption that every extra point is equal to an extra goal created(which obviously isn't how it works) it would take replacing Eichel with some player that beat McDavid for the Art Ross by about 40 points just to get them out of the negatives

 

[Mikeshane]

If you replaced Eichel with any player in NHL history at their peak do you think the Sabres would have made the play-off's the last couple of years? I sure don't think so.

I'm not blaming him for it, it's just that the playoffs get more interest and are treated as a more important time to succeed as a player.

 

[tsujimoto74]

He's elite, future top 10 C in the league. His play away from the puck could get better along with his compete level at all times but other than that, he's got an elite skillset and physical tools.

Those things are the #1 reason he's breaking out this year. He's taken huge steps forward in his play away from the puck. (The #2 reason is that he finally has a winger who knows that finish isn't just a nationality.)

 

[danielpalfredsson]

Nobody remembers number two.

 

[Aladyyn]

He's elite, future top 10 C in the league. His play away from the puck could get better along with his compete level at all times but other than that, he's got an elite skillset and physical tools.

He's a current top 10 C in the league.

 

[Kamiccolo]

Well he got a lot of hype right away and was really over rated. At the draft he was called Generational and then was clearly not on McDavid's level. Then the following year Matthews gets drafted and everyone says Eichel is better, and Matthews goes on and scores 40 as a rookie taking home the Calder and Eichel again gets knocked down a peg.

Then we got to the point where he was underrated last season. This year he finally got some linemates and is showing he belongs in that conversation. The natural elastic of this will mean he will keep going up as long as the Sabres stay in the playoffs.

I made a thread in the offseason saying he would break out. He is a tremendous player and the talent is evident. I don't think he is like in that tier right below McDavid just yet but the one below that in the Seguin/Getzlaf tier of guys. However he is very fun to watch and I think is close to being rated properly.

 

[Breakfast of Champs]

I think the (mainly American) media shoving him down our throats as McDavid's near equal turned many people off of him.

Franchise talent and he's been playing like it

 

[Quiet Jack]

Who was that Sabres fan that made a thread earlier this season about how he was basically done with Eichel? That thread was a real winner.

Anyway as a Sabres fan I'm just happy they've drastically improved. If they keep it up the accolades will come. If that matters to you.

 

[BAM]

He's a current top 10 C in the league.

More like he's played like one this season, which is true.

McDavid
Crosby
Malkin
Mackinnon
Matthews
Bergeron
Barkov
Tavares
Eichel
Point

 

[Mattilaus]

Who was that Sabres fan that made a thread earlier this season about how he was basically done with Eichel? That thread was a real winner.

Anyway as a Sabres fan I'm just happy they've drastically improved. If they keep it up the accolades will come. If that matters to you.

I got you, it was @AustonsNostrils

Breakthrough season for Eichel

 

[Nino33]

Obviously Sakic wasn't propped up by Hejduk before Hejduk began his NHL career. But by about 2000 Hejduk was leading the league in scoring.

1998-1999 Sakic 96 points (5th), Hedjduk 48 points
1999-2000 Sakic 81 points (tied for 8th), Hejduk 72 points
2000-2001 Sakic 118 points (2nd), Hejduk 79 points
2001-2002 Sakic 79 points (tied for 5th in league), Hejduk 44 points

It wasn't until 2002-03 that Hejduk (98 points in 82 games) outscored Sakic (58 points in 58 games), but Hejduk never led the league (Forsberg, Naslund and Thornton were all ahead of Hejduk).

And then...
2003-2004 Sakic 87 points (tied for 2nd), Hejduk 75 points
2005-2006 Sakic 87 points (tied for 17th), Hejduk 58 points
2006-2007 Sakic 100 points (tied for 6th), Hejduk 70 points
2007-2008 Sakic 40 points in 44 games (0.91 ppg), Hejduk 54 points in 77 games(0.70 ppg)
2008-2009 Sakic 12 points in 15 games (0.80 ppg), Hejduk 59 points in 82 games (0.72 ppg)

 

[koyvoo]

Sabres have a great young team likely on their way to being one of the best, but there’s still growing to do before they get there.

Eichel is there. No one should doubt he’s a franchise C at this point, and he’s definitely living up to his draft hype/potential.

 

[MayDay]

Could Jack Eichel score more than 60 points without Jeff Skinner on his wing?

Skinner is this decade's Milan Hejduk. A winger who is responsible for all of the success of the centre (Eichel or Sakic). Yet the winger gets overlooked due to east coast Canadian bias

Wow, you have this exactly backwards.

Skinner is a very good player, don’t get me wrong, but he owes his success this season to Eichel far more than the other way around.

Eichel gift-wraps countless golden scoring chances for Skinner nearly every game. Skinner gets credit for cashing so many of them in, but Eichel is the one driving that line.

 

[Oilslick941611]

I don’t know. He’s boring to watch. No personality. No flair.

 

[MayDay]

Nobody remembers number two.

Alexandre Daigle commenting on #2 selection Chris Pronger, if I’m not mistaken.

 

[Cleetus]

Yeah I would take Eichel over Mathews for sure.

thankfully you are no where close to evaluating talent for the leafs, you would probably get them back to a lottery pick in short order.

 

[MrThomas]

thankfully you are no where close to evaluating talent for the leafs, you would probably get them back to a lottery pick in short order.

If I would take Eichel I would probably bring them the Stanley Cup first time since colour TV came.

 

[sabremike]

Alexandre Daigle commenting on #2 selection Chris Pronger, if I’m not mistaken.

Fun fact: I once won a shirt at a Flyers game for knowing it was Daigle who said that in a trivia contest.

 

[NeverForget06]

Take it from an Oilers fan who may have been a little too optimistic when we were 1 game from the conference finals.... don't count your chickens before they hatch.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

I don't think Buffalo is this good at all. Not yet.

Eichel, it was only a matter of time as a top 2 pick that he would begin to dominate. I still dream he hates Buffalo and comes to the Bruins.

 

[Luminiferous]

They just got dumped on by the upper echelon of hockey teams. Give these threads a rest. A good team, trending upwards. Nothing special, at all, not yet.

 

[Yatzhee]

Ive never understood why Eichel isn’t talked about more. Guy is elite and a huge reason of why the Sabres are doing so well. Where’s all the love for Eichel?

I can't really agree with Eichel not getting any love. He's a great player and most hockey fans recognize this. Not sure what you mean, is it fans or hockey media?

Also, after every Sabres - Leafs game, go to the Leafs GDT and post game threads, you'll get an unusually unhealthy dose of Eichel hate, if they win or lose. Outside of that arena I see Eichel spoken of fairly respectfully.

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

It's kinda amazing how good Buffalo looks now compared to a year ago. They definitely are a good team now. Come April? We'll see. Next year, will they regress or take another step forward? Guess that's why they play the game.

 

[983 others]

So when the Sabres were terrible and you tried to criticize Eichel you got flak because “the Sabres were awful and it’s a team game”, but now that the Sabres are doing well Eichel deserves love?