I think it's less than 50/50 right now if Boston makes the play-offs. They are if anything worse this season than last. No one on that team was even close to a PPG last season. And no, the tear down hasn't started - they still have plenty of assets to sell.
Why go there? It's a terrible career move. They have nothing he can't get better else where. Too much uncertainty about the future.
Talk about the blind leading the blind in Buffalo. Eichel is a great player, but he is still REALLY young. Not to mention it's a minus team still in the midst of a heavy climb in the rankings. What does Buffalo give that he isn't getting else where? The chance to be on a losing team? Toronto is the exact same. He is gonna want to go somewhere he will get a bit of carry in his first season. Set the trajectory - not have a middling 35pts season.
And none of that attention will mean much when all those teams miss the play-offs for the next 2 years, and he has to help carry teams of borderline NHLers and aged-out vets. Why wouldn't he go to NYR, Tampa, Chicago where he will get better media attention, play with higher quality players over all, have a chance for real national attention on the play-offs, and get a sizable stat boost from being on positive goal differential teams?
You guys drastically over-value the home town thing or wanting to play for his Dad's team.
This kid wants to be a house-hold name pulling in high-end, long term contracts. Being a non-drafted, non-core asset, signing as a tradable UFA on a rebuilding team is not the best way to do that.
You think Panarin would have had the same break out season in Toronto, Buffalo or Boston? Zero chance.