Is the Golden Knights' problem Jack Eichel?

[apocalypse]

No, actually he is a pretty selfish player, doesn't elevate his teammates. You'll learn all that in due time.

You mean he doesn't make his teammates better? Is that what you mean by being selfish?

 

[Jeremy2020]

Eichel isn't the problem, but the team building philosophy that caused them to trade for him is a big part of the issue.

 

[thaman8765678]

You mean he doesn't make his teammates better? Is that what you mean by being selfish?

He makes his team worse with his attitude correct.

 

[Frenchy]

I dont follow Vegas closely , but from the outside looking in it seems that the problems started way b4 the Eichel trade. Again i'm not en expert , but this group of misfits had instant success right off the bat following the expension draft. Vegas was able to draft on character leadership and intangible and this group had insane chemistry from the get go.

Later on they traded some of those players who brought them deep in the playoffs for more skills and i'm not sure the chemistry was the same. Then you have the coaching change and more important Fleury ( Leadership, chemistry , knew what do to to win and very popular in the room ... )

So yeah many of you can point fingers at Eichel , but i dont believe it's the whole picture.

 

[Subbanned]

He is extremely whiny and a bit of a primadonna. Plus he is not in the top handful of players in the game e.g. McDavid, Matthews, etc so he's really not good enough to outweigh his toxicity. Not surprised especially considering how it all went down that this happened

 

[VivaLasVegas]

Here's the thing about Buffalo. They tanked for the McDavid/Eichel draft and they didn't get McDavid but Eichel was supposed to be almost as good if not as good. Everything after that in Buffalo was about Eichel. Eichel will lead us, make Eichel happy, get Eichel the linemates he wants, Eichel is frustrated with the team, eventually Eichel wants.........or Eichel wants out. Everything was about Eichel.
Now Buffalo is about team chemistry and the players like each other and ask what can we do to make this team better rather than the other way around (which was Eichel). So they are now having fun, bonding, and playing much better.
Eichel in Vegas simply expected to show up and they'd win. Nobody likes the guy. He's a diva and he blames others rather than taking the responsibility himself.

Bottom line, zero points last few big games, on the ice for the final goal with San Jose, -2 in the game. He does not lead, and he does not rise to the occasion.

(On a side weird note, the strangest thing of all is in Buffalo with Eichel, Lehner fell apart and later blamed an injury that wasn't treated properly according to him for his bad play. Now with Eichel in Vegas it's deja vu. Probably just a coincidence, but you have to wonder about the similarity)

Would suggest that the VGK is a little different than Buffalo in that they've already got some strong personalities on the team, and the organization has been a very strong one. The point being that Eichel will either fit into the system as the organization wants, or they won't hesitate to deal him. This is, after all, the same organization that wouldn't tolerate Fleury being a diva when he started to sulk over sharing time with Lehner (even if goal suffered by letting the Flower go).

 

[VivaLasVegas]

I dont follow Vegas closely , but from the outside looking in it seems that the problems started way b4 the Eichel trade. Again i'm not en expert , but this group of misfits had instant success right off the bat following the expension draft. Vagas was able to draft on character leadership and intangible and this group had insane chemistry from the get go.

Later on they traded some of those players who brought them deep in the playoffs for more skills and i'm not sure the chemistry was the same. Then you have the coaching change and more important Fleury ( Leadership, chemistry , knew what do to to win and very popular in the room ... )

So yeah many you can point fingers at Eichel , but i dont believe it's the whole picture.

The hiring of DeBoer & Co. is increasingly viewed as a bad one, Somebody (most likely McCrimmon) believed that DeBoer could take the VGK to the Cup, but he hasn't even got as far as Gallant the first year. So don't be surprised if there is a change in a couple of weeks. FWIW, some of DeBoer's recent interviews have featured him with the attitude of Dead Man Walking, so he already may be aware than an axe is going to fall. At the very, very least, I expect a wholesale cleaning of his inept crew of assistant coaches.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Damn, victory tastes sweet

 

[BurnabyJoe7]

Well at least he got an assist tonight. If I was him I would have done the monkey off the back celly on that goal.

 

[PunchImlach is Alive]

 

[summer tooth]

At least there's always next year for Jack and the VGK

 

[valet]

Would suggest that the VGK is a little different than Buffalo in that they've already got some strong personalities on the team, and the organization has been a very strong one. The point being that Eichel will either fit into the system as the organization wants, or they won't hesitate to deal him. This is, after all, the same organization that wouldn't tolerate Fleury being a diva when he started to sulk over sharing time with Lehner (even if goal suffered by letting the Flower go).

i’m not buying the ‘strong personalities’ argument. who are the strong personalities? stone, patches, petro? these are all lead by example types. they are not calling guys out in the room, they just do their job extremely well and guys tend to follow because that’s how normal, well adjusted people generally behave.

eichel is not normal or well adjusted. all indicators say he is a selfish, spoiled man baby. PDB doesn’t command any respect. management is under the gun for their obvious failure to manage the cap/future of the franchise. it’s exactly the perfect storm that personalities like eichel turn into nightmares for the people around them.

best case scenario, let’s say there are actually strong personalities in that room that will tell eichel to f*** off with his antics. then what? he just pouts his way out of town, generating a lesser return. everyone is worse off. vegas is an old team. they need to win with this group or they are f***ed. this isn’t going to end well any way you slice it

 

[Cirris]

Stuff like this is part of Eichel's M.O.

He comes off as dismissive/moody at times. The stories about him in Buffalo are starting to filter out. That he wasn't a "nice" guy to some people.

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That being said, Eichel is super talented. He'll probably start scoring more sooner or later.

But he's not a high quality teammate or leader.

 

[jd1970]

He just isn't the same player since the radical surgery. Sad.

 

[thaman8765678]

Stuff like this is part of Eichel's M.O.

He comes off as dismissive/moody at times. The stories about him in Buffalo are starting to filter out. That he wasn't a "nice" guy to some people.

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That being said, Eichel is super talented. He'll probably start scoring more sooner or later.

But he's not a high quality teammate or leader.

This video shows why Eichel is the problem..

So glad to have dodged that bullet.

 

[Cirris]

He just isn't the same player since the radical surgery. Sad.

Looks like his neck is holding up good after that face rub from Hintz there.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Stuff like this is part of Eichel's M.O.

He comes off as dismissive/moody at times. The stories about him in Buffalo are starting to filter out. That he wasn't a "nice" guy to some people.

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That being said, Eichel is super talented. He'll probably start scoring more sooner or later.

But he's not a high quality teammate or leader.

If that video is being interpreted as a slight from Eichel against his teammates, I think that's a reach.

Feels more like he was just pissed they lost. I mean......him scoring in the shootout def would've helped Vegas, so I'm glad that didn't happen, but I wouldn't read too much into an eye roll.

 

[majormajor]

Stuff like this is part of Eichel's M.O.

He comes off as dismissive/moody at times. The stories about him in Buffalo are starting to filter out. That he wasn't a "nice" guy to some people.

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That being said, Eichel is super talented. He'll probably start scoring more sooner or later.

But he's not a high quality teammate or leader.

What do you think is the appropriate facial response to losing and getting knocked out of playoff contention (again)?

I don't think there is a right way to do this for Eichel that will get people to shut up. If you're a super talented player and you still haven't made the playoffs people are going to be hyper critical and make up stories where there aren't any.

 

[haseoke39]

If that video is being interpreted as a slight from Eichel against his teammates, I think that's a reach.

Feels more like he was just pissed they lost. I mean......him scoring in the shootout def would've helped Vegas, so I'm glad that didn't happen, but I wouldn't read too much into an eye roll.

That's true. It's the 5000th eyeroll that really seals the flavor.

 

[Cirris]

If that video is being interpreted as a slight from Eichel against his teammates, I think that's a reach.

Feels more like he was just pissed they lost. I mean......him scoring in the shootout def would've helped Vegas, so I'm glad that didn't happen, but I wouldn't read too much into an eye roll.

Nah, that's Eichel. He's real moody. when things aren't going good he's a bit pissy.

You never heard of the Long Island Junior Sabres story where Eichel snubbed the kids after a Sabres loss??

The Jr Sabres kids also had a tourney on the Island. They got VIP tickets and were down by the lockerroom chanting Eichel's name. Eichel came by, saw the kids, rolled his eyes, then went behind a curtain and never came out again. 5 minutes later Kyle Okposo came out and spent some time with the kids. (source of the story is Craig Rivet who was coaching the Jr Sabres team)

There's other stories too. Some even involving Ryan O'Reilly.

It's times like that when Eichel is at his worst. He's not like that all the time. He does have good moments too. But he's super pissy when he's in a bad mood.

 

[EichHart]

 

[Genny Screamer]

If that video is being interpreted as a slight from Eichel against his teammates, I think that's a reach.

Feels more like he was just pissed they lost. I mean......him scoring in the shootout def would've helped Vegas, so I'm glad that didn't happen, but I wouldn't read too much into an eye roll.

 

[Vegas07]

Eichel was the first one to go to Thompson and support him after the San Jose loss after Thompson looked devastated.

So he rolled his eyes after his team choked again. Just like all the Vegas fans are doing right now.

I do have concerns about his character but this one isn’t a big deal IMO.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Looks like his neck is holding up good after that face rub from Hintz there.

What the hell was up with that, too, refs just deciding at random to spice up the game?

Only two pens called all game, and then they decide in a tie game late in the 3rd that they'll send off those two players for a light scrum?

Announcers couldn't make sense of it, and neither could I.

 

[WingsMJN2965]

The Golden Knights problem is garbage management.