Hamilton: Eichel benched on PP vs. Canes for "disciplinary reasons"

[Sabel79]

I really don't see it, I think he looks phenomenal and Byslma is just an idiot

I need you to put the pipe down. Not about the DDB part though.

[Wyldnwoody44]

Never put the pipe down.

 

Unless it's crack. Then give it back to its rightful owner.... DDB

[DirtDart]

If your star is not playing accordingly , bench him. I am all for it. Examples have to be made, and EVERYONE needs to be accountable.

[kas23]

Bust

[Stoner]

The following opinion is based on Hamilton's report being accurate.

 

A lot of people, including reporters, thought Eichel looked peeved or perturbed in his postgame interview. The narrative being that he was upset about getting sat on the peeper in a strategic coaching decision. But what was really happening there as he explained away the benching by following the company line about wanting to show the opponent a different look, get the molten-hot Moulson a look etc.?

 

Was he upset he had been benched for what must have been a minor violation of team rules or was he embarrassed to have to tell a story?

 

I don't know about anyone else, but my respect for Eichel would have grown a million times if he had said, "Yeah... yeah... yeah... I was benched because I was late to a team meeting. I understand the decision and accept it. It won't happen again. Don't be mad at the coach. He's just trying to protect me, but it's not necessary. I'm a big boy."

[dudacek]

Or maybe he was benched for not dumping it in

[sodbuster]

Or maybe he was benched for not dumping it in

You could be on to something. Blatantly ignoring the coaches game plan could result in some sort of discipline.

[Trettioåtta]

Eichel just isn't a Mathews or McDavid. He is an Erik Johnson - a good player that can't carry a franchise.

[Randall Flagg]

Eichel just isn't a Mathews or McDavid. He is an Erik Johnson - a good player that can't carry a franchise.

This is nuts. While Matthews is likely a hair-bit better right now overall, they're 19 and 20 years old. Jack's physical gifts and skills give him the potential to have stretches of being the best player in the world, like Malkin was every now and then. I'm not claiming he will have these stretches, but the potential is absolutely there. He had a better rookie year than literally every player since Crosby except for Ovie, Malkin, Kane, and MacKinnon (Nate has regressed since then) even though his was in a much-lower-scoring-era than all of the other prospects included here (Seguin, Hall, Tavares, Stamkos etc)

 

Either your definition of carrying a franchise is something only 3-4 guys in the world can do, or it's something a lot of Jack's peers and himself can do (if developed correctly.) In the first case, I'm not worried because lots of teams then win cups without having this player. In the second case, Jack is absolutely as in the discussion as anyone can be. 

 

Erik Johnson is, like, the 30th best defenseman in the league, maybe. I think Jack's got a chance to be a bit higher than that on the center list. 

Edited December 26, 2016 by Randall Flagg

[Sabres Fan in NS]

I was wondering and now I have my answer ...  :angel:

[thesportsbuff]

i don't buy any of it. if the benching was for anything more than performance reasons then we would have heard about it. the sabres had no problem letting the world know when evander kane was late for practice or whatever happened last season. to treat an eichel situation any differently sends the wrong message to everyone in the organization. personally, i think ya'll are trying to make it into a bigger deal than it is, but maybe Dan was too

[Stoner]

Hey buff. I wonder if I'll get credit for bringing one back into the fold?

 

Yeah, there isn't much to go on, but Hamilton did say "disciplinary reasons." That has a certain connotation.