Is John Robert Eichel the Unluckiest Superstar Since Lindros?

[Tage2Tuch]

Yeah, that's his real name.

OUTSIDE of his contract of course, and even then there comes negative talk with that....

Going into the playoffs and such there will be no EIchel talk, so felt like making this thread to discuss the injustice that is his pro-career to this point.

I had to ask who else has had a rougher ride then a star of this calibre from the beginning of his career?​

You could even call it BUFFALO luck. But look, I'm not one to cry because every team has a history of being unlucky, but the Sabres, with Brett Hull in the cup final, draft lotteries, the 06 ECF, and not getting McDavid after tanking then getting Eichel only too have him injured in 2 of his 3 seasons. (Eichel wasn't injury prone before this, these are both his two first injuries ever)

You have to feel for the guy even if you dislike him.

He will be known as a guy who's not even a 60 pt player, .....but it's a terrible unjust since he's gotten 130 pts in his last 125 games and only had a season where he played above 61 games...once, in his rookie season.

And in that rookie season despite being 2nd in points (In a prospect rich class Domi, Larkin were both tremendous, ghost, parayko, panarin, McDavid) HE WASN'T EVEN NOMINATED for the calder.


HIS PPG is unreal for playing on the lowest scoring team in the league, and for his age, and well would be for any player in the NHL but those two things make it more impressive.


Last year 57 in 61 pts. 0.94 in the 16-17 season. 11th best in the NHL.


This year 53 in 54. (It's 53 in 55 GP) but he played half a period) 0.98 PPG.

18th in NHL scoring before going down.


As far as unlucky:


Starts with having to be a #2, only Malkin (arguably Seguin, and MAYBE Laine) had been such a talent that had to be drafted #2 behind such a talent, and McDavid is a talent all of its own. Had he not been in McDavid's draft Eichel would be the talk of the year, been called the Jack Eichel sweepstakes, higher praise then Mackinnon, billed as the new FACE of American Hockey at 17, some even thought he should go above McDavid. (Although I'm not saying that here, not even close, just stating what some scouts said.)

That one is the least of it but still relevant.

Another is the whole being blamed for the FIring of Bylsma and Murray. Then Sabres management was getting the axe and there was the Eichel report made and the very next day both guys are gone and he's looked at as some serious locker-room disturber.

Then He got injured before the first game of the year in practice last year. Didn't play a game until December 2016 and finished the year a pt per game, not enough to finish high enough for the top 50 (on most 2nd page stat lists) and not relevant enough to discuss due to his team not making the playoffs. It was all supposed to change this year if his team got better but that didn't happen, and they got worst. Even though he steadily improved, and one would think well at least he's going to get his 80 pt season, maybe even 90 if he goes on a CRAZY tear since the natural progression of his game suggests he keeps improving.

But that didn't happen. Instead, now he's set to miss the final 27 games, (6 more then last year) I mean he could return in the final week or two but what would be the point? TO try and break the 60 pt mark and get a worse draft pick odds?​

THe whole Calder thing is another, which I mentioned briefly above.

​

And lastly his hair. Whatever barber he went too should be sued. I'm just in the summer he will get a new cut, or at least lets hope! Added that last one for the haters.


In both "Eichel" seasons the Sabres actually didn't do as bad as the two years before he arrived where they were dead last (Go figure)

But this year even with Eichel they have been awful, even though he's carried the team and his numbers are unbelievable. Over 40 even strength AND primary points, in 53 games played.

He has something around 167 pts in under 200 GP think it's around 190 could be wrong? Will have to check that but like I said in last two seasons playing an average of 56 games he's been point per game on that team that doesen't really score without him.

His line-mates were Okposo and Girgensons and he was still producing at an incredible level.


TO the rest of the NHL Your Welcome, the Sabres are going to be an easier 2 pts then ever before.

0-1 and counting, I don't think we will win 5 games the rest of the year.




Hopefully next season he comes back and gets the 85-90 pts he probably would of gotten this year. He definitely would of had two 70-75 pt seasons, that's not even in question.

Click to read more...

 

[Rodgerwilco]

I think it's just "John", not "Jonathan"

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

I thought he had a good showing at the ASG and he's a very talented and fun to watch player. I am sure he can bounce back from 2 unfortunate injuries. The big question to me is if buffalo can surround him with proper talent

 

[Jacob]

With that head of hair, yes.

 

[ACC1224]

No, he may be unlucky but he's not a Superstar.

 

[traparatus]

It's like a Font Fairy took a giant **** all over my computer screen.

He'll get there. I don't think I've seen any forward have to come back this deep into his own zone to start every rush since Ovechkin in his rookie year.

Right now, if Eichel doesn't do it himself, it ain't getting done. This will change in time as will his luck with injuries.

 

[Legionnaire]

With that head of hair, yes.

Face ain't helping much either.

 

[Yamazaki]

Not even close, none of his injuries are career threatening, he makes 10.5 million a year and will be a dominant force in the nhl for the next decade. If you want to think of unlucky players think bryan bickell, Paul ranger, Dan Blackburn, etc

 

[nobody]

Yeah, that's his real name.
​

​

My life has been a lie. Feels bad man.

 

[GeeoffBrown]

How does Johnathan shorten into Jack?

 

[Tatar Shots]

He is 21... Nobody thinks of Eichel as the guy who can't even score 60 points... Being drafted 2nd overall is not some injustice... really his hair, are you having a bad day OP?

 

[bottomofthefoodchain]

 

[Tage2Tuch]

Should of made my post shorter.

They say in 2018 with social media and smart-phones our attention span is that of 8 seconds shorter then a goldfish (9 seconds) and dropping yearly.

He is 21... Nobody thinks of Eichel as the guy who can't even score 60 points... Being drafted 2nd overall is not some injustice... really his hair, are you having a bad day OP?

Look at the responses in this thread.

"not a superstar"

"with that set of hair"

"his face is bad too"

"Guy posts that bad albeit funny pic of EIchel."


Look I even made fun of his hair in my post thinking that would do the job but it clearly didn't.

I'd say a lot of people think of him that way

How does Johnathan shorten into Jack?

A nickname, he probably wanted to go by it, plus there's too many John's.
And Jack Nicholson would go by both I think too:?​

 

[tarheelhockey]

I'm thinking about starting a thread to track the number of font changes in the OP.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

He's 21 chill.

 

[DDRhockey]

Unluckiest when lindros skated with his head down

 

[Goodbahd]

He’s not unlucky, he’s getting 10 million a year.

If he doesn’t like Buffalo or thinks they suck, then he didn’t have to sign with them and could’ve asked for a trade or opted to sign elsewhere after his entry level contract.

 

[Snippit]

If you ignore money, then so far his start to his career has been very unfortunate.

He’s been given minimal support and he gets unlucky with injuries.

Still, he’s going to be the 4th highest paid player in the league next year.

 

[Laineux]

He secured $80 million doing the least anyone has ever done to get that kind of money in NHL likely even accounting for inflation of player salaries.

His injuries and team situation suck, but he could have it worse.

 

[IceBoxHockey]

No, he may be unlucky but he's not a Superstar.

How is he not?

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

If you ignore money, then so far his start to his career has been very unfortunate.

He’s been given minimal support and he gets unlucky with injuries.

Still, he’s going to be the 4th highest paid player in the league next year.

That's a pretty lofty contract honestly. He definitely has the talent to live up to it though

 

[Mulletman]

You forgot that McDavid stole his bonus in one of the last games last season. Cost him something like 2 million.

 

[Laineux]

How is he not?

What's your definition of that word?

There are a lot of players that deserve that title before Eichel. The talent is there, but the accomplishments aren't.

 

[Tage2Tuch]

He secured $80 million doing the least anyone has ever done to get that kind of money in NHL likely even accounting for inflation of player salaries.

His injuries and team situation suck, but he could have it worse.

That's why at the top in my second line I said outside of his contract.

If I write a long thread, I always am sure to keep a lot of my "what are people going to respond with, without reading" points near the top before they drift out.

But I'm sure you may of known that. It's for this reason I don't feel, "THAT" bad for him but I still do. He at least could of played for the Rocket or the Art Ross, not saying he would of gotten either but he could of played for them. Or just hit career high's which he was a week away from doing anyway.

 

[Tage2Tuch]

You forgot that McDavid stole his bonus in one of the last games last season. Cost him something like 2 million.

YOUR RIGHT.

he lost 2 million in contract bonuses on the last day of the year but it wasn't McDavid it was Draisaitl, who finished top ten in Points Per Game.

The reason people say it was McDavid was because he scored the goal that Draisaitl got the assist on to make Eichel 11th in Points Per Game.

I think was an empty netter to boot. (McDavid's 100th point last year)