Eichel Out For The Foreseeable Future

[Pimlach]

1 minute ago, Randall Flagg said:

But what are his 3 other mystery injuries that people have whispered about, and why did he have lingering injury issues no one would say anything about each of the last couple years? 

We know that his injury to start training camp was from "training"

Yes. I updated my post.  I think there is something else that has been nagging him all season.  The injury in the last game could be related in some way.  

[Randall Flagg]

1 minute ago, Pimlach said:

Yes. I updated my post.  I think there is something else that has been nagging him all season.  The injury in the last game could be related in some way.  

I do agree that it seems likely that neck thing in the Islanders game caused this. What's interesting is the reaggravated phrasing 

[LabattBlue]

I often find it odd that a national hockey guy breaks a story like this over the fantastic local beat guys, or even a Sabres employee such as Peters, Biron, River or Duff. 

[JoeSchmoe]

2 minutes ago, LabattBlue said:

I often find it odd that a national hockey guy breaks a story like this over the fantastic local beat guys, or even a Sabres employee such as Peters, Biron, River or Duff. 

This is usually the case with all teams. Maybe it's part of the deal with the massive TV contracts the big networks have that they be the first to break the major stories.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Time to let the kids play.  Time to bring up R2. Time to give Cozens and Mitts bigger roles. Time to open up the offense and let Montour and Dahlin do what they do best and it’s past time to get rid of RK

[thewookie1]

Perhaps his shoulder injury was more of a neck injury he had been playing through. Combine that with broken ribs and you would certainly get a player having visible difficulties taking hits and holding the puck. He understands how important he is to this team and wanted to play through it but between multiple additional minor injuries and the team’s inability to do much of anything they have told him to rest and heal

[jsb]

26 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Time to let the kids play.  Time to bring up R2. Time to give Cozens and Mitts bigger roles. Time to open up the offense and let Montour and Dahlin do what they do best and it’s past time to get rid of RK

I agree with you on this, I don't understand why RK is still on board and it's way past time that this team has or should have any playoff chance this year, if you're going to lose anyway, play the young guys and see what they bring to the table and let them play their game and not some system that doesn't work. If they have one bad game, don't sit them for a month in retribution if you're not going to do it to your vets as well

[Marvin]

The neck injury could exacerbate shoulder, rib, or back problems.  Take a look at the musculature; maybe you can infer what the original injuries were and where.

[Sabre1974]

35 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Time to let the kids play.  Time to bring up R2. Time to give Cozens and Mitts bigger roles. Time to open up the offense and let Montour and Dahlin do what they do best and it’s past time to get rid of RK

Totally with this. Sit the vets and let the kids play. 

[Kruppstahl]

Let's hope this is actually related to an injury! 

My immediate reaction was that it was just made up BS to cover something up.

Kind of like when Alex Mogilny mysteriously developed a fear of flying, or when Hasek suddenly developed a strange injury and couldn't play, but then he could play, etc.

If this is just a good old injury, we're lucky.

 

 

 

[Kruppstahl]

49 minutes ago, JoeSchmoe said:

This is usually the case with all teams. Maybe it's part of the deal with the massive TV contracts the big networks have that they be the first to break the major stories.

It's not that.

The handful of Canadian journalists HQ'd in TO who break *all* significant NHL news are the ones with the exposure to allow agents to get what they want out there in front of everyone, so they are the ones who get the info.

The information behind news updates like this almost always comes from player agents.

It cuts both ways: the journalist gets breaking stories, the agent (now and again) gets what he wants "out there" to be out there to help shape discussion/attitude.

 

 

 

 

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

I was going to post a thread on an SS referendum on what kind of player we wish Jack to be and now with him seemingly out long-term this seems like an appropriate place to ask the question.  

 What kind of player is Jack really and what is his highest and best use?  Is he more Modano or more Adam Oates or is he Perreault 2.0?

Here is what I see.  He is a blazing fast skater.  He sees the ice extremely well and passes the puck swiftly and accurately.  He has a excellent hockey IQ, but not elite.  He is a good but not great stick handler and has a blistering shot that isn’t always accurate.  He needs to be a volume shooter to score 30+ and will likely never be a 40 goal scorer.  I was hoping for McKinnon 2.0 and it may stick happen, but I don’t think he shoots well enough. 

Ultimately, with guys like Reinhart, VO and Skinner already here, Jack’s best usage here long-term is more playmaker then goal scorer.   I think he could be a better version of Brind’Amour or Kuztensov.  Someone, if healthy, can score 25 goals but add 60 to 70 assists.  
 

 

 

[matter2003]

Honestly at this point, who cares?

[JoeSchmoe]

21 minutes ago, Kruppstahl said:

It's not that.

The handful of Canadian journalists HQ'd in TO who break *all* significant NHL news are the ones with the exposure to allow agents to get what they want out there in front of everyone, so they are the ones who get the info.

The information behind news updates like this almost always comes from player agents.

It cuts both ways: the journalist gets breaking stories, the agent (now and again) gets what he wants "out there" to be out there to help shape discussion/attitude.

 

 

 

 

 

So you think the news is coming from the agent and not the team?

One semi-related story I recall from a while back came from Rob Ray when he wasn't in the media for too long and doing his 4pm bit on WGR. He said that even if a lower guy like Brad May got the story, the networks would give their big guys like Friedman all the credit.

[Thorner]

2 hours ago, LabattBlue said:

I hope this(along with the injuries to McCabe and Ullmark) will not make the powers that be, believe that Ralph is not the problem.

Agree.

They should also start factoring injury history into their evaluations of these players, I think. Whether that pertains to trades or new contracts. I dunno if that's going to come off controversial - that's not the intent. But I think it's something that has become a regular occurrence with these guys. Even last year when Eichel was having his down stretch towards the end, word was he was hurt. 

[Thorner]

2 hours ago, SwampD said:

Good. I thought they should have shut him down a month ago.

His replacement actually has a chance to improve the position.

You realize Jack is our leading scorer, right?

So you are setting the bar for the new guy to be better than the team's leading scorer, to finally add some improvement?

Jack was adding nothing to a team which he was leading in scoring? 

Edited March 9, 2021 by Thorny

[Thorner]

2 hours ago, dudacek said:

I suspect (hope?) they've finally convinced him that it is better off for everyone involved if he stays away until he's himself again.

Well not on the ice in the short team.. but yes in terms of the right treatment of the player he needs to be out if he's not ok. 

[Ducky]

What was Jack's injury in TC?

Shoulder?

[PerreaultForever]

I don't know if I believe anything coming out of this team these days. 

[Thorner]

31 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

I was going to post a thread on an SS referendum on what kind of player we wish Jack to be and now with him seemingly out long-term this seems like an appropriate place to ask the question.  

 What kind of player is Jack really and what is his highest and best use?  Is he more Modano or more Adam Oates or is he Perreault 2.0?

Here is what I see.  He is a blazing fast skater.  He sees the ice extremely well and passes the puck swiftly and accurately.  He has a excellent hockey IQ, but not elite.  He is a good but not great stick handler and has a blistering shot that isn’t always accurate.  He needs to be a volume shooter to score 30+ and will likely never be a 40 goal scorer.  I was hoping for McKinnon 2.0 and it may stick happen, but I don’t think he shoots well enough. 

Ultimately, with guys like Reinhart, VO and Skinner already here, Jack’s best usage here long-term is more playmaker then goal scorer.   I think he could be a better version of Brind’Amour or Kuztensov.  Someone, if healthy, can score 25 goals but add 60 to 70 assists.  
 

 

 

Agree mostly but the durability worries me. 

I disagree he most likely won't score 40 though. Had 36 last year. I'd bet he eclipses it. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

Just now, Thorny said:

Agree mostly but the durability worries me. 

I disagree he most likely won't score 40 though. Had 36 last year. I'd bet he eclipses it. 

He also shot 15.9%.  He is a career 10% shooter.  Hall is also a career 10% shooter and had a career year where he shot 14+% and earned an MVP.  I think those are aberrations for both players.

[Curt]

24 minutes ago, JoeSchmoe said:

So you think the news is coming from the agent and not the team?

One semi-related story I recall from a while back came from Rob Ray when he wasn't in the media for too long and doing his 4pm bit on WGR. He said that even if a lower guy like Brad May got the story, the networks would give their big guys like Friedman all the credit.

The info very did not come from the team.  You think the team would tweet out that Jack was going to miss the game tonight, then call up Friedman and tell him that Jack might be out a lot longer?  Why?

It occurs to me that maybe you meant someone inside the team leaking info to Friedman, not the Buffalo Sabres organization deciding they want to tell him.  Yeah, it could be that.

[Thorner]

4 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

He also shot 15.9%.  He is a career 10% shooter.  Hall is also a career 10% shooter and had a career year where he shot 14+% and earned an MVP.  I think those are aberrations for both players.

Of course. But the fact he's already had an aberration and he's on the early side of his prime suggest to me it's much more likely more aberrations are forthcoming.

- - - 

This is extra disappointing too cause I wanted to see him under a new coach. Though if this injury is linked to something that's been around, probably a strong argument that this season itself is an aberration, without needing to see him under a new guy

Edited March 9, 2021 by Thorny

[inkman]

21 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

I don't know if I believe anything coming out of this team these days. 

He’s been injured all season.  If you couldn’t tell, I don’t know what’s left to tell ya. 

[SwampD]

40 minutes ago, Thorny said:

You realize Jack is our leading scorer, right?

So you are setting the bar for the new guy to be better than the team's leading scorer, to finally add some improvement?

Jack was adding nothing to a team which he was leading in scoring? 

That's how good he is.