Is Eichel playing injured?

[nfreeman]

He wants it to work here.  FFS, get him a goalie and a coach/teammates who can produce 5-on-5 offense, let him heal up and the monster we saw last year will return better than ever.

[Kruppstahl]

4 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

He wants it to work here.  FFS, get him a goalie and a coach/teammates who can produce 5-on-5 offense, let him heal up and the monster we saw last year will return better than ever.

It's more than that now, IMO.  It isn't just injury.  The proof of that is there to see in every game he plays, including last night in MSG. 

His spirit is broken.

Could it heal?  Maybe.  But we need to act quickly.

I would say this is shaping up to be Eichel's last season in Buffalo, barring a lot of swift, correct, organizational moves.

 

Edited March 3, 2021 by Kruppstahl

[Randall Flagg]

2C and a goalie. There are more needs on top of that, but if those get fixed, it goes a long way towards having a real roster. 

 

[Thorner]

1 hour ago, nfreeman said:

He wants it to work here.  FFS, get him a goalie and a coach/teammates who can produce 5-on-5 offense, let him heal up and the monster we saw last year will return better than ever.

Yeap

38 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

2C and a goalie. There are more needs on top of that, but if those get fixed, it goes a long way towards having a real roster. 

 

Lol this post reads sad cause we thought it was bad when it was “ just need a 2C” for years with Botterill and now it’s somehow “just need a 2C and a goalie....come on now!

😆

Edited March 3, 2021 by Last Eichel Fan

[Radar]

Eichel isn't perfect in all this. Maybe he's not ideal captain material either. Nevertheless he's a elite center. First, let's bring someone with a record to stabilize this franchise. I would bring a Jim Rutherford type in to oversee the whole operation. Finish out the season with Jack. Make him happy if at all possible. Let RK coach for this season and let the overseer then decide on  coaching staff going forward. I think Adams and Rutherford have a relationship that could prove helpful.

[Weave]

40 minutes ago, Radar said:

Eichel isn't perfect in all this. Maybe he's not ideal captain material either. Nevertheless he's a elite center. First, let's bring someone with a record to stabilize this franchise. I would bring a Jim Rutherford type in to oversee the whole operation. Finish out the season with Jack. Make him happy if at all possible. Let RK coach for this season and let the overseer then decide on  coaching staff going forward. I think Adams and Rutherford have a relationship that could prove helpful.

Agree with pretty much all of this.

 Maybe the biggest mistake of all wasn’t getting a team executive who was a proven winner and could set the culture, top down.  The Pegulas never did get the culture right.

Its interesting that the winners they did start with, Patrick and LaFontaine, bailed out right about the time that tanking was initiated.  Since that time there has been precious little in the way of people with winning in their background that has been brought in to steer the yacht.

[Thorner]

5 minutes ago, Weave said:

Agree with pretty much all of this.

 Maybe the biggest mistake of all wasn’t getting a team executive who was a proven winner and could set the culture, top down.  The Pegulas never did get the culture right.

Its interesting that the winners they did start with, Patrick and LaFontaine, bailed out right about the time that tanking was initiated.  Since that time there has been precious little in the way of people with winning in their background that has been brought in to steer the yacht.

It could even be the thinking behind *why* they decided to tank that could be the issue those cases. This is just a hypothetical to illustrate how: If the purpose of the tank was defined as a “strategy to get McDavid” vs a “strategy to get McEichel.”

One is more defensible than the other on its face. 

Edited March 3, 2021 by Last Eichel Fan

[Weave]

Just now, Last Eichel Fan said:

It could even be the thinking behind *why* they decided to tank that could be the issue those cases. This is just a hypothetical  to illustrate how: If the purpose of the tank was defined as a “strategy to get McDavid” vs a “strategy to get McEichel.”

One is more defensible than the other on its face. 

Whatever, stranger. 🤪

[Thorner]

6 minutes ago, Weave said:

Whatever, stranger. 🤪

 

[Stoner]

 

[nfreeman]

20 minutes ago, Last Eichel Fan said:

It could even be the thinking behind *why* they decided to tank that could be the issue those cases. This is just a hypothetical to illustrate how: If the purpose of the tank was defined as a “strategy to get McDavid” vs a “strategy to get McEichel.”

One is more defensible than the other on its face. 

I refuse to believe that any sentient human decided to tank because they thought a 1-in-5 chance to get McD would pay off.  It had to be because they thought Eichel would be worth it.

[Thorner]

58 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

I refuse to believe that any sentient human decided to tank because they thought a 1-in-5 chance to get McD would pay off.  It had to be because they thought Eichel would be worth it.

You’d hope so. 

They did host a McDavid exhibition game if I remember correctly 

[Weave]

28 minutes ago, Last Eichel Fan said:

You’d hope so. 

They did host a McDavid exhibition game if I remember correctly 

I can hear it now.  “There is no way we won’t get him. I’ll even trade away mediocre goalies to make sure it happens”.

 

And then DarthEbriate chimes in, “never tell me the odds”.

Edited March 3, 2021 by Weave

[thewookie1]

1 hour ago, nfreeman said:

I refuse to believe that any sentient human decided to tank because they thought a 1-in-5 chance to get McD would pay off.  It had to be because they thought Eichel would be worth it.

If I had to guess, Murray sold the Pegulas on getting McDavid. Getting Eichel was a solid consolation but you can tell by Murray's face at the lottery that he was likely pinning his entire plan on getting McDavid.

It may have even caused the whole Lafontaine thing. After all, when he was hired the odds were more heavily in last place's favor to get 1st overall. He likely convinced the Pegulas he could get this super player if they let him do his plan. Lafontaine likely objected but was overruled by the Pegulas who had been swayed by Murray's plan.

Eichel was likely the reasoning for the extreme tanking actions Murray took after losing the Reinhart draft lottery. Get last place! Then at worst we get this star American prospect but his overall strategy likely still hinged on getting McDavid. 

After failing to get McDavid was likely when his relationship with the Pegulas went south as his entire plan blew up in his face and likely made him irritable and thus difficult to be around.  

[Weave]

7 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

 

After failing to get McDavid was likely when his relationship with the Pegulas went south as his entire plan blew up in his face and likely made him irritable and thus difficult to be around.  

Or he was just an incorrigible *****.

[nfreeman]

33 minutes ago, thewookie1 said:

If I had to guess, Murray sold the Pegulas on getting McDavid. Getting Eichel was a solid consolation but you can tell by Murray's face at the lottery that he was likely pinning his entire plan on getting McDavid.

It may have even caused the whole Lafontaine thing. After all, when he was hired the odds were more heavily in last place's favor to get 1st overall. He likely convinced the Pegulas he could get this super player if they let him do his plan. Lafontaine likely objected but was overruled by the Pegulas who had been swayed by Murray's plan.

Eichel was likely the reasoning for the extreme tanking actions Murray took after losing the Reinhart draft lottery. Get last place! Then at worst we get this star American prospect but his overall strategy likely still hinged on getting McDavid. 

After failing to get McDavid was likely when his relationship with the Pegulas went south as his entire plan blew up in his face and likely made him irritable and thus difficult to be around.  

TM certainly looked crestfallen when the Sabres didn't get McD, but again -- no one could possibly have counted on winning a 1-in-5 lottery, or for that matter a 1-in-4 lottery. 

[Curt]

2 hours ago, nfreeman said:

I refuse to believe that any sentient human decided to tank because they thought a 1-in-5 chance to get McD would pay off.  It had to be because they thought Eichel would be worth it.

This does not necessarily exclude all of Sabres management and ownership..

[thewookie1]

47 minutes ago, Weave said:

Or he was just an incorrigible *****.

Maybe both

[PerreaultForever]

6 hours ago, Randall Flagg said:

2C and a goalie. There are more needs on top of that, but if those get fixed, it goes a long way towards having a real roster. 

 

So let me get this straight. The logic is that if we somehow had a better goalie and a 2C (wasn't that supposed to be Staal?) then the rest of these lazy soft losers will suddenly rise to the occasion and play proper hockey and everything will be fine? Really? 

Or in other words all we need is a guy like Ryan O'Reilly and maybe a goalie like say Robin Lehner.......................................... 

Sorry, the argument doesn't hold up. It's not that simple. 

[Second Line Center]

7 hours ago, thewookie1 said:

If I had to guess, Murray sold the Pegulas on getting McDavid. Getting Eichel was a solid consolation but you can tell by Murray's face at the lottery that he was likely pinning his entire plan on getting McDavid.

It may have even caused the whole Lafontaine thing. After all, when he was hired the odds were more heavily in last place's favor to get 1st overall. He likely convinced the Pegulas he could get this super player if they let him do his plan. Lafontaine likely objected but was overruled by the Pegulas who had been swayed by Murray's plan.

Eichel was likely the reasoning for the extreme tanking actions Murray took after losing the Reinhart draft lottery. Get last place! Then at worst we get this star American prospect but his overall strategy likely still hinged on getting McDavid. 

After failing to get McDavid was likely when his relationship with the Pegulas went south as his entire plan blew up in his face and likely made him irritable and thus difficult to be around.  

 

 

I've been thinking a lot about this the past few weeks.  I wanted to think Murray knew something about Jack that he wasn't thrilled with....he really wanted McDavid.  Obviously.  

BUT YOU DONT GIVE ANY HINT OF THAT ON FREAKING LOTTO NIGHT.  You're the GM.  All eyes on you.  You have a 75% chance you are NOT getting McDavid so you better have that reaction down.  Have the "getting 2nd pick tonight is just as good as 1 in our eyes we're perfectly happy" line down.  The whole season was guarantee last so you guarantee one of those 2.  How you hitch your wagons to 25% odds is unconscionable to me. 

Murray was a hot head probably with little patience and the Pegulas didn't like the style.  The plan yes.  But the style no.  And he showed why on that lotto night.   

[Sabre fan]

11 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

So let me get this straight. The logic is that if we somehow had a better goalie and a 2C (wasn't that supposed to be Staal?) then the rest of these lazy soft losers will suddenly rise to the occasion and play proper hockey and everything will be fine? Really? 

Or in other words all we need is a guy like Ryan O'Reilly and maybe a goalie like say Robin Lehner.......................................... 

Sorry, the argument doesn't hold up. It's not that simple. 

well said...it is almost impossible to believe that a new goalie and a 2nd line center (yes just like ROR) would solve all that ails this team overnight. I think it goes far deeper then that. Can;t help btu wonder if Jack is looking at ROR and thinking "I want what he got"...

[bob_sauve28]

11 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

So let me get this straight. The logic is that if we somehow had a better goalie and a 2C (wasn't that supposed to be Staal?) then the rest of these lazy soft losers will suddenly rise to the occasion and play proper hockey and everything will be fine? Really? 

Or in other words all we need is a guy like Ryan O'Reilly and maybe a goalie like say Robin Lehner.......................................... 

Sorry, the argument doesn't hold up. It's not that simple. 

YES. Having decent goaltending would sure solve a lot of problems. Just look at the last game. Hutton giving up the winner on a super softy was a killer. Had it been a case where not only do we not give up a soft goal but get a big stop instead, ya, the whole team would look better. 

 

Not saying they would be cup contenders but they would be in the hunt for a play off spot. 

 

You can't win with terrible goaltending 

[North Buffalo]

30 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

YES. Having decent goaltending would sure solve a lot of problems. Just look at the last game. Hutton giving up the winner on a super softy was a killer. Had it been a case where not only do we not give up a soft goal but get a big stop instead, ya, the whole team would look better. 

 

Not saying they would be cup contenders but they would be in the hunt for a play off spot. 

 

You can't win with terrible goaltending 

True and developing goalies often take a while... Sabres skipped doing that for a number of years and are paying the price playing catch up.  Ullmark coming into his own,  5K and kid from Michigan seem promising... but lag is killing Sabres

[That Aud Smell]

I appreciate several of the recent posts upthread.

Emotionally, I feel that urge for the franchise to do anything and everything in order to generate the change(s) that is (are) so obviously needed -- except of course doing anything with new folk hero Dylan Cozens.

But rationally, it makes no sense to think about moving on from Eichel. Bet your bottom dollar that the Sabres would get hosed in any such trade. It would almost certainly set the franchise back, somehow further.

For now, more suffering. But let's keep the baby/-ies while tossing the bath water.

 

 

[bob_sauve28]

10 minutes ago, North Buffalo said:

True and developing goalies often take a while... Sabres skipped doing that for a number of years and are paying the price playing catch up.  Ullmark coming into his own,  5K and kid from Michigan seem promising... but lag is killing Sabres

And Ullmark might not prove durable. So having another goalie ready to go is a top priority. I was pretty upset to see we were going into the season not having improved the position and was hoping the management knew something we didn't. But Hutton is done. He isn't going to be the same guy we signed several years ago.