Hot take: I’ll be rooting for Eichel

[OverPowerYou]

I’ve despised the thought of him succeeding ever since he left the Sabres. I even rooted against his team ever since he joined the Golden Knights. But, when Vegas went up 3-1 it occurred to me, I see a lot of myself in his situation. 
 

I worked at a certain branch at my workplace where I was chosen to drastically turn things around because i was young, they saw my potential and I was the top candidate due to my previous performance and experience at such a young age, too.
 

However, the workplace was dysfunctional, toxic, and lacked communication from top to bottom, inside out and had been that way for years and I quickly learned that the circumstances were beyond fixing under my control. After I started the new position, no matter how much I pointed out the flaws and told them that we needed additional help from the outside (which was available) they decided to just keep things status quo because they believed in our core group of people (sound familiar?)

Things continued to get worse and I was getting to be complacent and was getting emotionally and physically worn out because I was trying to do it all myself. My boss and my bosses boss worked in the same building as I did and could see the dysfunction and the problems daily, yet whenever something went wrong they blamed me but never did anything to improve it because their jobs were “safe”(very bureaucratic and corporate) 

Time after time situations would occur where I would be the scapegoat and take the blame even though it was out of my control and I was doing my 100% best busting my ass. I even got scolded once for openly showing my frustration on the workroom floor when the situation became very bleak and out of control.

I even had a co-worker who was basically my right hand man just get up and quit one day after 10 years of working the job.. He used to love his job but starting hating coming to work because it got so bad. He got tired of doing the same thing year after year with no results and lost his passion for the job (Ryan O’Reilly anyone?) 

No matter how much I did or how hard I tried I finally reached a point where I realized the end was near. I became, complacent and Depressed as each day seemed like an eternity. Even though I had some great Camaraderie with people there (there were only a few!), I made a few friends and had some good laughs along the way (made a ton of money too!), I eventually decided it was time to go. 
 

I soon got a job at a different branch in my company closer to home. A year later I’m now the happiest I’ve ever been. I look back at my days in that place and I can’t believe how I was treated. I have such a bitter taste in my mouth and still haunts me from time to time. I’m glad for my time there because it was just another step in molding me as a person and preparing the way for who I am now everyday. 
 

All in all, I now understand Jack Eichel. I’ll never know the pressure of being a professional athlete especially at age 18 but he was expected to be the savior from the start. He always did his best and gave it his all. Towards the end we became frustrated when he seemed disinterested and when he became easily frustrated himself and threw temper tantrums. I probably would have as well!
 

He even had some things to say about the fans booing him. I definitely wouldn’t have been able to keep my mouth shut if I were him. He invested time and effort all for nothing. You could tell he wanted to win. 

That being said, life is too short to wish people ill will, that is, unless they’re Boston sports teams. 
 

Go Sabres 

 

 

Edited June 12, 2023 by OverPowerYou
Left words out

[LabattBlue]

I haven’t watched one minute of the finals, and I will try my hardest not to see a pic or video of that masshole holding the Cup above his head. 

[PromoTheRobot]

Bold step to come out in support of Jack when he's one win away.

[bob_sauve28]

I'd love to do counter factual history and say, if Tuch was still there, Vegas would still be where they are. Not to dis Jack, but the Vegas team is real good and he is just a part, though a good part. 

[thewookie1]

Naw, no reason to bite

[Marvin]

I am rooting for a game 6.  I just hate short series.

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, OverPowerYou said:

I now understand Jack Eichel.

You're dead to me.  Turn in your Sabres Fan Card.

[mjd1001]

1 hour ago, bob_sauve28 said:

I'd love to do counter factual history and say, if Tuch was still there, Vegas would still be where they are. Not to dis Jack, but the Vegas team is real good and he is just a part, though a good part. 

Interesting. Maybe, maybe not.

Think of this Vegas team without Eichel.  But with Tuch, Krebs (on a low line), $5m more in cap space (and what they could do with it) and possibly a major deadline aquisition they could fetch with the 1st or 2nd rounder they gave the Sabres.

Points like this are what message boards are for.

Edited June 13, 2023 by mjd1001

[sabremike]

Storytime: I was a longtime Isles STH and sat with a group of friends that included a friend who is in the hockey industry (when the Isles commissioned a 50th anniversary book he was one of the people who was interviewed, many years back he actually did pbp for the Bingo Whalers) primarily at the youth level. The first year at Barclays he tells me that Jack is (and I quote) "Dumber than a bag of rocks" and he proceeds to tell me a story of him in a youth tournament doing something that was a very serious and immature breech of etiquette (don't remember the exact details as this was close to a decade back) and he actually went up to him to explain to him what he had done wrong. The point I wish to make isn't just that Jack had Lindros levels of immaturity and that this was obvious to anyone who knew him, it's that the Sabres had to know this as well. If you know this your primary objective in roster building should be to get numerous high character vets to make sure that the kid you are building your franchise around will grow and mature. You need a competent head coach with a progressive mindset. So what did GMTM do? Goes out and acquires Evander Kane at the draft before the deadline and hires Hockey Barry Switzer Dan Abysmal as the coach which helped lead to a hockey version of Love Canal. Jack had obvious immaturity issues but it was the job of the organization to put him in a position to grow and mature and they failed miserably.

[Doohicksie]

10 minutes ago, sabremike said:

Storytime

Storytime????

 

[PerreaultForever]

5 hours ago, bob_sauve28 said:

I'd love to do counter factual history and say, if Tuch was still there, Vegas would still be where they are. Not to dis Jack, but the Vegas team is real good and he is just a part, though a good part. 

Stone coming back off his (fake?) back injury was the thing that made them this much better than their regular season run imo. The biggest question was goaltending and that has turned out to be more than adequate, good even. Cassidy has great success when he comes to teams. Eventually the players get tired of his rants though. We will see how long he lasts in Vegas after this. Eichel bought in, and although he is highly rated as a whole, Pieterangelo is underrated in terms of his effect on a team and their defensive play, especially when it counts. I'd say it was all those things. 

[Second Line Center]

I called trading Eichel as inevitable a year before it happened - not because he wasn’t the generational talent we hoped he’d be.  It was because we weren’t ever going to be good enough before he turned 30.  It had to be done.  Same Reinhart. 
 

I was only angry at Jack after the game here at home.  The comments about the fans.  
 

Whatever.  The trade worked out for both teams and I couldn’t be happier.  Watching ROR win the Cup - that was terrible.  And, it probably added to Eichel needing to leave.  The whole team saw how badly we botched this post 2015 draft build.  
 

I wasn’t rooting for Vegas to start   Then I saw Eichel play against McDavid.  That was the guy we drafted.  The 2 way game.  The speed, power, and hustle.  Here he was dominating all 200 feet and if I’m not mistaken just back in January - was called out by his coach for his play.  He could have sulked pouted and maybe this didn’t work out but it has.  That’s a sign of much maturity.  He never had that leadership here.  To hold him accountable.  And he beat McDavid.  

I still don’t like that Murray looked as dour as he did when we got 2nd pick.  It’s his personality and it’s why he wasn’t a good leader of a franchise.  I’m sure Jack knew there was some disappointment and well….just a 6 year mess.

People grow, change, mature.  Or not.  But I like the game he’s playing and I like how Vegas is built and plays together.  I’ve been rooting for them since Edmonton and hope they win it.      
 

I’d like to thank Florida for knocking out the 3 teams I hate the most in the NHL.  Well done.  

[Alaska John]

3 hours ago, sabremike said:

Storytime: I was a longtime Isles STH and sat with a group of friends that included a friend who is in the hockey industry (when the Isles commissioned a 50th anniversary book he was one of the people who was interviewed, many years back he actually did pbp for the Bingo Whalers) primarily at the youth level. The first year at Barclays he tells me that Jack is (and I quote) "Dumber than a bag of rocks" and he proceeds to tell me a story of him in a youth tournament doing something that was a very serious and immature breech of etiquette (don't remember the exact details as this was close to a decade back) and he actually went up to him to explain to him what he had done wrong. The point I wish to make isn't just that Jack had Lindros levels of immaturity and that this was obvious to anyone who knew him, it's that the Sabres had to know this as well. If you know this your primary objective in roster building should be to get numerous high character vets to make sure that the kid you are building your franchise around will grow and mature. You need a competent head coach with a progressive mindset. So what did GMTM do? Goes out and acquires Evander Kane at the draft before the deadline and hires Hockey Barry Switzer Dan Abysmal as the coach which helped lead to a hockey version of Love Canal. Jack had obvious immaturity issues but it was the job of the organization to put him in a position to grow and mature and they failed miserably.

Gave a like for the dead-on Love Canal comparison, also for the comments about GMTM screwing the rebuild completely.  As for Eichel's intelligence, who knows if the friend's assessment is right, and anyway we aren't picking scholars, we're picking players with hockey IQ.  Eichel has a good understanding of how to play the game, and that's the relevant criterion.  

Eichel and Reinhart were both drafted #2 overall but only Eichel catches the grief.  Not sure why.  I think Eichel tried for a while to be the leader the Sabres wanted, but gave up.  I don't think Reinhart ever tried to fill the role.  I think they're both playing the way the Sabres wanted them to, but now they have professional coaches and help from a strong group of teammates.  Also playing much better is Montour, who I suspect bagged it while with the Sabres hoping to get paroled to a better team, and it worked out.  

 

 

[bob_sauve28]

4 hours ago, Alaska John said:

Gave a like for the dead-on Love Canal comparison,  

 

 

Yup!!! 🤣

[That Aud Smell]

I can’t get past the fact that choosing to root for Eichel isn’t a take.

[GASabresIUFAN]

Nope not ever.

Can’t root for Eichel and won’t root for a 6 year old team about to win a championship that our 50+ year old team has yet to win.  

[ddaryl]

Hockey is still being played ?

[Rasmus_]

It's inevitable unless Florida goes on a herculean run lol.  I'm done worrying about the outcome.  Ready for the draft.

 

[Zamboni]

3 minutes ago, Rasmus_ said:

It's inevitable unless Florida goes on a herculean run lol.  I'm done worrying about the outcome.  Ready for the draft.

 

Yea I’m in the same boat. Vegas wins, then so be it. Good for them. Yawn. Move on…

[CallawaySabres]

cringe....

[inkman]

I was never a big Eichel fan.  I recognize the talent.  I just thought he had the opposite of charisma.  He doesn’t seem cool at all. 

[French Collection]

16 minutes ago, inkman said:

I was never a big Eichel fan.  I recognize the talent.  I just thought he had the opposite of charisma.  He doesn’t seem cool at all. 

Agree. I loved watching what he could do on the ice, he just never drew me into his fandom, for lack of a better word.

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, inkman said:

I was never a big Eichel fan.  I recognize the talent.  I just thought he had the opposite of charisma.  He doesn’t seem cool at all. 

He's a tool.  And not in a good way.  I never felt any empathy for him the way I feel for Tage, Mitts, Cozens, Tuch, Skinner, Okie,...   I know charisma doesn't win championships but I just never liked Eich. 

[Weave]

Just now, Doohickie said:

He's a tool.  And not in a good way.  I never felt any empathy for him the way I feel for Tage, Mitts, Cozens, Tuch, Skinner, Okie,...   I know charisma doesn't win championships but I just never liked Eich. 

I felt similar. I was always open to the possibility it was my hatred for the decision to tank that drove it, but he just always seemed to be a jerk.

Sam….. no dislike for Sam.  Mostly ambivalence.  He seemed OK enough.  But he was never good enough to justify losing on purpose. 

[Doohicksie]

Sam was my favorite Sabre of that era, I have is jersey.

But Jack... when we had him I thought.... he's an ass but he's *our* ass!  Now he's just an ass.