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If he signs...

Chased on goalie :) Man Fleury's stats suck this season1 Reinhart's pass to Foligno was amazing

Yeah Eichel is playing well. I love watching ROR play - its the smart play like 90% of the time. He went 33rd. I'd love to see what he said in his interviews etc.

Even with those possession numbers?

Who knows why these days: https://twitter.com/NYRangers/status/836660409541214208

He is

Reinhart has the same points output this season. Why are we giving up a 10 ten pick to get older and no better?

I think this summaries my point. You're ok with him being included in that group. I'm not. I want(ed) Malkin, Crosby, Ovie, McDavid, Eichel, Kane, Toews etc. to be the tier that he is in. If Eichel isn't above the bolded lot then the tank has truly gone to Yeah worded it badly. Decent with regards to the upper talent in the NHL. Basically I wanted an exceptional player and I haven't seen that from him yet - at least not more than brief moments

My point is that I am not alone in thinking Eichel isn't special yet. Eichel is probably top five for name recognition. I don't think my point did get destroyed. Eichel is on track to be a decent player, I'm not denying that. I'm saying he isn't enough for years of suffering. He alone doesn't justify the tank. The best move we made during the tank is to trade for ROR, not draft Eichel imo.

https://www.nhl.com/news/top-active-american-players-rankings/c-287030342 Matthews at 2. Eichel doesn't make the top 10.

I guess this is just where we differ. Eichel is good, but i've only seen the briefest of moments of special.

Yeah I should maybe use special rather than generational.

I mean... statistically he is below him. Matthews is on track for a 40 goal season. I don't think it is ridiculous to suggest a player who is a year younger than him and out performing him is better.

I would trade Kane to Anaheim for two D-men. Not Fowler or Lindholm - but two of the other young ones. I trade Asplund to Florida to get Pysyk and correct that mistake. Sadly this one won't happen. I retain half Bogo's salary and I trade him for a first to someone. I package our two firsts and our one prospect D-man to Winnipeg for Trouba (this is pricey, so I think we could get it cheaper). Risto - Trouba McCabe - Pysyk Anaheim 1 - Anaheim 2 That is your defence sorted.

If we go on a hot streak, even if we don't make the playoffs. I doubt Dan goes. So are we hoping for yet another tanking season to get us what we want? People hoped we would tank at the end of last year too, for a better pick.

This is a good post. Sorry i don't really have the time to do as detailed a response. I agree I am pessimistic and probably overly so. I honestly thought we were on track to get a generational player. The teams that were cited as examples to follow were Pens and Hawks. They each got their generational players. I will be honest, I am not sure we got a single one from the tanking seasons. We cheered Arizona when they scored in our stadium because we knew what that meant. It was guaranteeing us one of Eichel or McDavid. Everyone knew McDavid was going to be the most special player since Crosby; but there was a lot of talk about Eichel being equivalent to Malkin. Eichel has a frustratingly fast skating style - it looks like he is wading through treacle but he is lightning quick, so that isn't why I call him a coaster. I wanted a player that had the ability and drive to put a team on his back and carry them. As Crosby does for the Pens, as Toews does for the Hawks. That special player who makes a difference. Right now ROR is a hell of a lot closer to being that guy than Eichel. It might well be a maturity problem and in 5 years he will be that guy. But i'll tell you what, it pisses me off to no end that Toronto started a year later in the tank and both their star and team are out performing our equivalents. Our prospect cupboards are pretty thin, with but a few exceptions this is the team we are stuck with for the next 5+ years. Based on nothing but his stats (and comparing those to his brother's in the A) Nylander seems like your standard middle 6 guy. This is our core and most nights I agree with Lehner - they haven't done anything at all but act as though they are champions. I am being unfair to Eichel, and as your thorough post shows, he is not doing badly compared to his competition. I wanted a special player, and I truly am not sure we got one. We haven't made the playoffs in 6 years. Do people really see this team as perennial contenders? If after all those years of tanking we get a team that slips into the playoffs in March in a wild card slot how is any of this worth it? Do you think we are closer to the Pens or the Oilers (pre this season) in rebuild? 05/06 - Sid's first year - Pens finish 29th 06/07 - Sid's second year - Pens finish 10th (over 100 points) 07/08 - Toew's first year - Hawks finish 20th 08/09 - Toew's second year - Hawks finish 6th (over 100 points) 15/16 - Eichel's first year - Sabres finish 23rd 16/17 - Eicehl's second year - Sabres finish 22nd (assuming the standings remain as they are)

Eichel isn't as skilled as McDavid, as hard working as Mathews, as enthusiastic about the game as Laine. He is 20.5 years old and has practically mentally checked out every other game (if not every other shift). His quotes show that he is used to not having to fight for excellence and strive to become better. He is a coaster. He will be content to be 'nearly' good enough. A 70-80 point player in his prime who is weak defensively and has weak intangibles. Honestly, I think the Sabres biggest mistake with this rebuild is not trading that pick for prospects/young talent on the night of the draft (assuming there was a decent offer - which there normally is).

Nice game! Man I love Lehner

Amazing what happens when Eichel plays the team's system :ph34r:

Eichel? He is on track for 64 points (in a full season). We hoped to get a star who would put Buffalo on his back and carry us to the promised lands. In reality he seems in the tier of very good rather than elite. ROR is on track for 63 and is way better defensively and has more 'intangibles'

Is there a team for Fleury? I agree teams don't let that talent walk for free, but I think there are better 'prospects' than Ulmark out there.

Murray from the Pens. Fleury has to be protected.

Man Lehner really blew that one for us. The offence provided the all the support he needed to win that game. They kept up their end of the bargain by putting one in the oppositions net, he let this team down by allowing twice as many. He has to go, simple as that. Maybe we could package him with a good player so someone would want him? Something like Girgensons and Lehner for a 2nd or 3rd?

Losing them to NJ is more costly than SJ. I play Lehner then Nilsson

For years people said Lundqvist played too deep in his net and wasn't aggressive enough. But he put up the numbers despite his unorthodox style. Eventually people accepted his play style and agreed he was a very good goalie. Lehners dad was Lundqvists coach when he was developing in Sweden. He used to try out some unorthodox training/tactics on Lehner to see if they would work for Lundqvist. Maybe Robin found one that worked for him?