Jack Eichel Overhyped or Overshadowed

[Howboutthempanthers]

I think the hype was a lot. But I also believe the Sabres not having a good development environment at the time, hurt his career. He might have reached a higher potential under different circumstances.

 

[BKarchitect]

Complicated question, complicated question.

There is some multi-verse option of Eichel where he is currently peaking as MacKinnon-esque talent. Competing for Harts, top 3 center with a bullet, being talked about as the biggest American star ever. There was some thought, not completely wild, that he may be capable of that. He was that awesome of a prospect.

There’s also a version of this where Eichel has his issues in Buffalo, his strange injury journey and he doesn’t ever really recover from that and goes down as a guy who was mostly talent and little substance.

In-between is this Earth’s Jack Eichel. He really has re-written his story in Vegas and I think he deserves some credit for this. I think at this point, he’s actually underrated as a player. You can put up all the points per game stats you want, you’re not gonna convince me this guy isn’t easily a top 10 center in the NHL. He’s big, rangy, scores and creates with equal aplomb, can log huge minutes, and has turned into a damn good 200’ player who has proven his worth in the post-season. He’s a franchise center who can be the centerpiece of a Cup-winning team…this isn’t debatable. He did that.

That a player can be that good and still be considered a disappointment…it’s pretty wild. I’m not gonna say those who point to his standing when he was a 17 year-old prospect and his lack of individual awards are wrong. But in some ways I think the pendulum swung too far on him in terms of his standing and ability and outcome.

 

[SmoggyTwinkles]

Jack Eichel going into the 2015 draft had a ridiculous amount of hype going his way. There were talks of the big, fast, talented, two way heavy shot great vision player challenging McDavid. People were saying he had the better shot, was more physical and had a better two way game at the time saying his game was that of a Stanley cup caliber 1c and they were right as he's won a cup, however people also put the generational label on eichel as well with his historic hobby baker winning freshman season headed into the draft. Many noted that eichel had very explosive skating and was a physical specimen. So the race between the two started where the two were compared to eachother incessantly come draft lottery time the answer to who was number 1 was dispelled, revealing edmonton the winners and going by Tim Murray's reaction, the Sabres the "losers" of the McEichel draft where the narrative went from who goes number 1 to eichel would go number 1 in any draft without McDavid or Crosby. Eichel quickly became viewed as the ultimate consolation prize but the sting was still there for Eichel historic NCAA season to being the guy drafted by someone disappointed you aren't your so called rival. From there the pressure was on Eichel to lift the Buffalo Sabres back to greatness but also deal with directly being compared to McDavid. He put together a solid rookie campaign without a doubt some say he was slighted as I believe he was 4th that year just missing out on being a calder finalist where super rookie Russian star 24 year old Panarin put up 70 plus points en route to a Calder assisting Kane in his award sweep of the Ross, Hart and Lindsey but his direct competition in McDavid was injured with a collar bone injury against Philadelphia from Manning, who he would go on to call classless later on in his career, but McDavid still put up 48 points in 45 games compared to the 56 points in 81 games. People were still thinking that Eichel could still reach that generational/franchise altering hall of fame type potential as it was still a very good rookie season after all he did it over 80 games and wasn't some 24 year old khl pro piggybacking off of American Hockey Legend showtime himself 3 time champion mr.clutch himself Patrick Kane. Panarin himself later proved that wasn't the case but rather was a super elite talent who kept improving proving worthy of the calder, but that is a seperate story. So Eichel still was viewed as a super raw athletic talented who needed polish and wasn't defensively ready as most people thought. Heading into the 2016 draft people were saying he would be number 1 in the draft over Matthews or Laine while others would argue back but, regardless of who's who the four of McDavid, Eichel, Matthews and Laine would be 4 of the Uber elite talents. At the time of the draft I remember people saying Matthews was a more polished product not as raw therfore closer to his ceiling with people regarding him as a toews/Kopitar type two way center not the goal scoring phenom he is today putting himself up up there with legends putting together multi(2) 60 plus goal seasons and rockets, but at the time of 2016 draft some were still regarding Eichel as a similar talent to McDavid and superior to Matthews and Laine and boy there were debates about that. After the end of that season Eichel finished with 61 gp due to a high ankle sprain and a nearly identical stat line as his rookie year with 24 goals and 33 assists good for 57 points showing a stark improvement in his production which is a points per game of 0.93 which is 76 points over 82 games while impressive his direct comparison and competition McDavid took off posting 30 goals and 70 assists for the lone 100 point season and his first award sweep shifting his comparables to Matthews and Laine who both posted notably better rookie seasons Matthews with 40 goals and 69 points(lol his Stateline has 69 twice which is nice) and laine put together 36 goals and 64 points while eichel might have out produced them but not for long. As the 2017-18 season rolled around their stat lines looked like:
McDavid: 82gp 41g 67a 108p art Ross win
Matthews: 62gp 34g 29a 63p
Laine: 82gp 44g 36a 70p
Eichel: 67gp 25g 39a 64p
Again missing time but this time being outproduced by matthews and not nearly the same goal scoring ability as Laine with McDavid essentially separating himself from his peers completely with a 40 goal 100 plus point campaign leading to his second art Ross and Lindsey and a questionable Hart loss to former teammate Hall also marking the significant emergence of the forgotten and counted out Mackinnon, he finally put together his speed, shot, strength and playmaking ability making him a finalist in the Hart race the former #1 pick put up 39 goals and 58 assists for 97 points and went onto becoming one of the most productive present careers a spot most people thought eichel would be at. So going into the 2018-19 year it eichel wasn't viewed as McDavid's counterpart instead he was being compared to the rest of his draft class where marner started getting attention with the idea that he was just as good or better than eichel. Then everyone started noting that eichel had a much heavier load to carry that he was the Sabres hope and that he was the one carrying the whole offense and recognized the tremendous raw talent and ability to be a top tier player but people were doubting of his ability to put it together.
The next year Eichel had his offensive coming out party potting 28 goals 54 assists and was his was first over ppg game season along with being his only healthy season since his rookie year with people saying he was beginning to scratch the surface of his potential noting he was earlier along the development curve than Mackinnon when he had his breakout. Things looked promising for the eich man as he finished well after they traded O'Reilly who won the seller and Smythe and cup which had to sting as he was left alone on an island with Reinhart and marner finished ahead with 94 points with the narrative of him being a near generational talent gone with the idea of him being a slam dunk 1 overall in any other draft dwindling and questionable. The very next year however he began to show his true colors, the pre draft hype eichel has arrived. He came out determined more than ever showing he was n elite top ten talent. He could go end to end snipe any corner from anywhere the speed, keep away and dangle ability with the vision finally he had his Mackinnon like click looking unstoppable however the season was cut short due to another injury finishing with 68 games 36 goals 42 assists for 78 points with a fully healthy season he assuredly would have broken the 40 goal barrier and cracked 90 points scratching at 100 points. Going into the next season (with Krueger again big mistake) we brought along hall former Hart winner. Eichel finally got his marner, his drai, his rantanen it was looking good with hall, eichel, skinner, stall, Reinhart, dahlin, and our rookie cozens. This was the season Eichel finally put it together he has good pieces around him now after he broke out finally going to deliver on his potential be the Sabres franchise savior assert himself as a top 3 center top 5 player ready to make that jump Ala Mackinnon. Training camp rolls around he gets hurt is visibly physically impaired by season start, looks nothing the same lost speed, his shot wasn't as lethal not strong on the puck his production reverted back to sub ppg but he did not look dominant at all wasn't taking over shifts wasn't a difference maker turns out he was playing injured to the Sabres relief but not for long. As he went down so did the Sabres season Reinhart the only player with a noteworthy season Hall fell flat on his face and was useless. Eichel required surgery in his neck which created a whole debacle resulting in his trade to Vegas where he ended up putting on a great performance resulting in a cup win showing that he is a great playoff performer. But ever since than he hasn't played a full season for Vegas and only one season above ppg. Although he has a cup before the likes of the Leafs trio and McDavid you could argue that he is not on any of their levels while a much better playoffperformer than the leaves trio they all have individually better seasons and better award finishes and pt finishes. Was eichel overhyped and overrated or was he in a bad situation where the pressure got to him and injuries derailed his career. He flashed tremendous ability before is there any hope that the pre-draft eichel is there and has a late career surrender as a top producer. As of the moment I feel like he is even questionable as a top 5 pick in a re draft with guys like kaprizov, marner, rantanen, Connor, and aho probably get taken ahead he would probably still have trouble with going over Joel ericksson ek and hintz or barzal. What would he have to do from here on out to be considered that slam dunk 1st overall pick in any other draft? It seems he isn't that dynamic two way power center who can set the table or snipe from anywhere, he was touted Tobe a top 5 forward top 3 player even during his prime he is barely a top 10 center great player but is in the lower echelon of top line players it seems players drafted with him, before him and after him processed more despite his cup. How do you view eichel? Failed franchise savior or handed unfair expectations and pressure. Was he overrated due to drumming up the draft hype machine and was hampered by it or was he legitimately that good and was closer to McDavid than the rest of his class but failed to live up his potential or was it poor management along with to many expectations that failed him. Is number 2. Slam dunk all American jack still there or was he ever there.

Back then, people THOUGHT there was a chance Eichel could challenge McDavid, they were wrong.

Back then people THOUGHT Laine could be as good as Matthews, they were wrong.

It's all hindsight crap. That's life.

That's the NHL draft and looking back and going "dang", everyone was wrong.

And yet................Eichel has a cup right?

I'd trade McDavid, Matthews, whoever, for one single cup. Easily.

 

[Voight]

He was overhyped in the sense people were calling it the McEichel Draft and saying he would've gone #1 any other year previous. Hes a #1C, just not at the McDavid/Matthews/MackInnon etc level.

He seems to be exactly what I expected. The McDavid vs. Eichel hype, was exactly that, hype. I never bought into Eichel being as good as McDavid.

Eichel has become a 80-90 point and 30 goal 1st line centre. He was the points leader on a that one a Stanley Cup. He's only 27 and could win more cups. He's not an Art Ross type of player, but he brings an elite level of compete, which was always what he was most praised for.

Hes hit 30 goals twice and 80 points once, so that's bit of a stretch.

 

[ORRFForever]

Was he overhyped in his draft year? : Yes, he is no McDavid - but, then again, no one is.

Has he turned out to be an amazing player? : Yes, he's terrific.

 

[Connor McConnor]

Overhyped but only because expectations were consistent 90-100 pt player. He's a great #1C though and a bit overshadowed by the generational talents in his era

 

[BrindamoursNose]

Just put the fries in the bag bro

 

[Chainshot]

He's had a collection of derailing injuries since he was drafted. That has played a lot into the times when he was lacked GP and thus production.

 

[sabremike]

The NHL is over 100 years old and the Pegula Sabres are the single least successful franchise in terms of on ice results ever. Jack ended up with the grave misfortune of ending up in that organization and roughly 18 months after leaving was skating around the ice with the cup and probably didn't win the Conn Smythe because the voters felt it would be adding salt in the wound for the most abused fans in hockey history. Anyone who thinks his career has been a disappointment is a lunatic.

 

[CanadienShark]

Jesus dude, paragraphs would really help us understand your rambling nonsense.

 

[WhataKnight]

I don’t think he’ll ever quite reach his initial ceiling…..buf it’s beyond pretty awesome that he still tops out at the 200ft., offensively gifted-yet-defensively-minded 1C shown since.

Luck with health and the right consistent triggerman could yield a “Thornton/Cheechoo 2.0” tandem, though.

 

[Asymmetric Solution]

Jack Eichel going into the 2015 draft had a ridiculous amount of hype going his way. There were talks of the big, fast, talented, two way heavy shot great vision player challenging McDavid. People were saying he had the better shot, was more physical and had a better two way game at the time saying his game was that of a Stanley cup caliber 1c and they were right as he's won a cup, however people also put the generational label on eichel as well with his historic hobby baker winning freshman season headed into the draft. Many noted that eichel had very explosive skating and was a physical specimen. So the race between the two started where the two were compared to eachother incessantly come draft lottery time the answer to who was number 1 was dispelled, revealing edmonton the winners and going by Tim Murray's reaction, the Sabres the "losers" of the McEichel draft where the narrative went from who goes number 1 to eichel would go number 1 in any draft without McDavid or Crosby. Eichel quickly became viewed as the ultimate consolation prize but the sting was still there for Eichel historic NCAA season to being the guy drafted by someone disappointed you aren't your so called rival. From there the pressure was on Eichel to lift the Buffalo Sabres back to greatness but also deal with directly being compared to McDavid. He put together a solid rookie campaign without a doubt some say he was slighted as I believe he was 4th that year just missing out on being a calder finalist where super rookie Russian star 24 year old Panarin put up 70 plus points en route to a Calder assisting Kane in his award sweep of the Ross, Hart and Lindsey but his direct competition in McDavid was injured with a collar bone injury against Philadelphia from Manning, who he would go on to call classless later on in his career, but McDavid still put up 48 points in 45 games compared to the 56 points in 81 games. People were still thinking that Eichel could still reach that generational/franchise altering hall of fame type potential as it was still a very good rookie season after all he did it over 80 games and wasn't some 24 year old khl pro piggybacking off of American Hockey Legend showtime himself 3 time champion mr.clutch himself Patrick Kane. Panarin himself later proved that wasn't the case but rather was a super elite talent who kept improving proving worthy of the calder, but that is a seperate story. So Eichel still was viewed as a super raw athletic talented who needed polish and wasn't defensively ready as most people thought. Heading into the 2016 draft people were saying he would be number 1 in the draft over Matthews or Laine while others would argue back but, regardless of who's who the four of McDavid, Eichel, Matthews and Laine would be 4 of the Uber elite talents. At the time of the draft I remember people saying Matthews was a more polished product not as raw therfore closer to his ceiling with people regarding him as a toews/Kopitar type two way center not the goal scoring phenom he is today putting himself up up there with legends putting together multi(2) 60 plus goal seasons and rockets, but at the time of 2016 draft some were still regarding Eichel as a similar talent to McDavid and superior to Matthews and Laine and boy there were debates about that. After the end of that season Eichel finished with 61 gp due to a high ankle sprain and a nearly identical stat line as his rookie year with 24 goals and 33 assists good for 57 points showing a stark improvement in his production which is a points per game of 0.93 which is 76 points over 82 games while impressive his direct comparison and competition McDavid took off posting 30 goals and 70 assists for the lone 100 point season and his first award sweep shifting his comparables to Matthews and Laine who both posted notably better rookie seasons Matthews with 40 goals and 69 points(lol his Stateline has 69 twice which is nice) and laine put together 36 goals and 64 points while eichel might have out produced them but not for long. As the 2017-18 season rolled around their stat lines looked like:
McDavid: 82gp 41g 67a 108p art Ross win
Matthews: 62gp 34g 29a 63p
Laine: 82gp 44g 36a 70p
Eichel: 67gp 25g 39a 64p
Again missing time but this time being outproduced by matthews and not nearly the same goal scoring ability as Laine with McDavid essentially separating himself from his peers completely with a 40 goal 100 plus point campaign leading to his second art Ross and Lindsey and a questionable Hart loss to former teammate Hall also marking the significant emergence of the forgotten and counted out Mackinnon, he finally put together his speed, shot, strength and playmaking ability making him a finalist in the Hart race the former #1 pick put up 39 goals and 58 assists for 97 points and went onto becoming one of the most productive present careers a spot most people thought eichel would be at. So going into the 2018-19 year it eichel wasn't viewed as McDavid's counterpart instead he was being compared to the rest of his draft class where marner started getting attention with the idea that he was just as good or better than eichel. Then everyone started noting that eichel had a much heavier load to carry that he was the Sabres hope and that he was the one carrying the whole offense and recognized the tremendous raw talent and ability to be a top tier player but people were doubting of his ability to put it together.
The next year Eichel had his offensive coming out party potting 28 goals 54 assists and was his was first over ppg game season along with being his only healthy season since his rookie year with people saying he was beginning to scratch the surface of his potential noting he was earlier along the development curve than Mackinnon when he had his breakout. Things looked promising for the eich man as he finished well after they traded O'Reilly who won the seller and Smythe and cup which had to sting as he was left alone on an island with Reinhart and marner finished ahead with 94 points with the narrative of him being a near generational talent gone with the idea of him being a slam dunk 1 overall in any other draft dwindling and questionable. The very next year however he began to show his true colors, the pre draft hype eichel has arrived. He came out determined more than ever showing he was n elite top ten talent. He could go end to end snipe any corner from anywhere the speed, keep away and dangle ability with the vision finally he had his Mackinnon like click looking unstoppable however the season was cut short due to another injury finishing with 68 games 36 goals 42 assists for 78 points with a fully healthy season he assuredly would have broken the 40 goal barrier and cracked 90 points scratching at 100 points. Going into the next season (with Krueger again big mistake) we brought along hall former Hart winner. Eichel finally got his marner, his drai, his rantanen it was looking good with hall, eichel, skinner, stall, Reinhart, dahlin, and our rookie cozens. This was the season Eichel finally put it together he has good pieces around him now after he broke out finally going to deliver on his potential be the Sabres franchise savior assert himself as a top 3 center top 5 player ready to make that jump Ala Mackinnon. Training camp rolls around he gets hurt is visibly physically impaired by season start, looks nothing the same lost speed, his shot wasn't as lethal not strong on the puck his production reverted back to sub ppg but he did not look dominant at all wasn't taking over shifts wasn't a difference maker turns out he was playing injured to the Sabres relief but not for long. As he went down so did the Sabres season Reinhart the only player with a noteworthy season Hall fell flat on his face and was useless. Eichel required surgery in his neck which created a whole debacle resulting in his trade to Vegas where he ended up putting on a great performance resulting in a cup win showing that he is a great playoff performer. But ever since than he hasn't played a full season for Vegas and only one season above ppg. Although he has a cup before the likes of the Leafs trio and McDavid you could argue that he is not on any of their levels while a much better playoffperformer than the leaves trio they all have individually better seasons and better award finishes and pt finishes. Was eichel overhyped and overrated or was he in a bad situation where the pressure got to him and injuries derailed his career. He flashed tremendous ability before is there any hope that the pre-draft eichel is there and has a late career surrender as a top producer. As of the moment I feel like he is even questionable as a top 5 pick in a re draft with guys like kaprizov, marner, rantanen, Connor, and aho probably get taken ahead he would probably still have trouble with going over Joel ericksson ek and hintz or barzal. What would he have to do from here on out to be considered that slam dunk 1st overall pick in any other draft? It seems he isn't that dynamic two way power center who can set the table or snipe from anywhere, he was touted Tobe a top 5 forward top 3 player even during his prime he is barely a top 10 center great player but is in the lower echelon of top line players it seems players drafted with him, before him and after him processed more despite his cup. How do you view eichel? Failed franchise savior or handed unfair expectations and pressure. Was he overrated due to drumming up the draft hype machine and was hampered by it or was he legitimately that good and was closer to McDavid than the rest of his class but failed to live up his potential or was it poor management along with to many expectations that failed him. Is number 2. Slam dunk all American jack still there or was he ever there.

All this to say you’re mad about him going to a political rally?

 

[MOGlLNY]

Eichel is a really good player. Can be a game breaker some games. But I don't think he's an every night drag your team into the fight easy 100+ point guy every year like he was expected to be.

But there's nothing wrong with that.

 

[Fatass]

He has a cup while being an absolutely key player, which none of these guys can say about themselves

This^^^
Eichel was key in his Cup win. Until those other guys lead their clubs to a Cup they’re a step behind.

 

[Section 104]

Well I remember going into the draft it was McDavid is another Crosby and Eichel is probably another Modano which ain’t bad. The thing two years ago on how “Eichel has won a championship while Mathews and Crosby haven’t” was a bit ridiculous because Eichel forced a trade to a team good enough to be a Cup contender without him. Still he is an all star top notch talent.

 

[PaulD]

He also was part of a team that missed the playoffs 5 seasons in a row. I don't think any of those other players can say that either.

But some of them can say they are 1-7 in play off series......where Jack is 4-1. And a Cup win where he played key role with his elite level of play on the top line.
Jack is the one chuckling now.

 

[johan f]

I have seen guys in pick up games working harder than him.

 

[Breakers]

His NCAA season was overhyped

Weak SOS, and people thought it was comparable with Kariya.
It was a good season, but not all-time

 

[Frank Drebin]

But some of them can say they are 1-7 in play off series......where Jack is 4-1. And a Cup win where he played key role with his elite level of play on the top line.
Jack is the one chuckling now.

I just think if you are going to claim one player is responsible for his teams success that same player would also be responsible for his teams failures?

 

[Beukeboom]

Jack Eichel going into the 2015 draft had a ridiculous amount of hype going his way. There were talks of the big, fast, talented, two way heavy shot great vision player challenging McDavid. People were saying he had the better shot, was more physical and had a better two way game at the time saying his game was that of a Stanley cup caliber 1c and they were right as he's won a cup, however people also put the generational label on eichel as well with his historic hobby baker winning freshman season headed into the draft. Many noted that eichel had very explosive skating and was a physical specimen. So the race between the two started where the two were compared to eachother incessantly come draft lottery time the answer to who was number 1 was dispelled, revealing edmonton the winners and going by Tim Murray's reaction, the Sabres the "losers" of the McEichel draft where the narrative went from who goes number 1 to eichel would go number 1 in any draft without McDavid or Crosby. Eichel quickly became viewed as the ultimate consolation prize but the sting was still there for Eichel historic NCAA season to being the guy drafted by someone disappointed you aren't your so called rival. From there the pressure was on Eichel to lift the Buffalo Sabres back to greatness but also deal with directly being compared to McDavid. He put together a solid rookie campaign without a doubt some say he was slighted as I believe he was 4th that year just missing out on being a calder finalist where super rookie Russian star 24 year old Panarin put up 70 plus points en route to a Calder assisting Kane in his award sweep of the Ross, Hart and Lindsey but his direct competition in McDavid was injured with a collar bone injury against Philadelphia from Manning, who he would go on to call classless later on in his career, but McDavid still put up 48 points in 45 games compared to the 56 points in 81 games. People were still thinking that Eichel could still reach that generational/franchise altering hall of fame type potential as it was still a very good rookie season after all he did it over 80 games and wasn't some 24 year old khl pro piggybacking off of American Hockey Legend showtime himself 3 time champion mr.clutch himself Patrick Kane. Panarin himself later proved that wasn't the case but rather was a super elite talent who kept improving proving worthy of the calder, but that is a seperate story. So Eichel still was viewed as a super raw athletic talented who needed polish and wasn't defensively ready as most people thought. Heading into the 2016 draft people were saying he would be number 1 in the draft over Matthews or Laine while others would argue back but, regardless of who's who the four of McDavid, Eichel, Matthews and Laine would be 4 of the Uber elite talents. At the time of the draft I remember people saying Matthews was a more polished product not as raw therfore closer to his ceiling with people regarding him as a toews/Kopitar type two way center not the goal scoring phenom he is today putting himself up up there with legends putting together multi(2) 60 plus goal seasons and rockets, but at the time of 2016 draft some were still regarding Eichel as a similar talent to McDavid and superior to Matthews and Laine and boy there were debates about that. After the end of that season Eichel finished with 61 gp due to a high ankle sprain and a nearly identical stat line as his rookie year with 24 goals and 33 assists good for 57 points showing a stark improvement in his production which is a points per game of 0.93 which is 76 points over 82 games while impressive his direct comparison and competition McDavid took off posting 30 goals and 70 assists for the lone 100 point season and his first award sweep shifting his comparables to Matthews and Laine who both posted notably better rookie seasons Matthews with 40 goals and 69 points(lol his Stateline has 69 twice which is nice) and laine put together 36 goals and 64 points while eichel might have out produced them but not for long. As the 2017-18 season rolled around their stat lines looked like:
McDavid: 82gp 41g 67a 108p art Ross win
Matthews: 62gp 34g 29a 63p
Laine: 82gp 44g 36a 70p
Eichel: 67gp 25g 39a 64p
Again missing time but this time being outproduced by matthews and not nearly the same goal scoring ability as Laine with McDavid essentially separating himself from his peers completely with a 40 goal 100 plus point campaign leading to his second art Ross and Lindsey and a questionable Hart loss to former teammate Hall also marking the significant emergence of the forgotten and counted out Mackinnon, he finally put together his speed, shot, strength and playmaking ability making him a finalist in the Hart race the former #1 pick put up 39 goals and 58 assists for 97 points and went onto becoming one of the most productive present careers a spot most people thought eichel would be at. So going into the 2018-19 year it eichel wasn't viewed as McDavid's counterpart instead he was being compared to the rest of his draft class where marner started getting attention with the idea that he was just as good or better than eichel. Then everyone started noting that eichel had a much heavier load to carry that he was the Sabres hope and that he was the one carrying the whole offense and recognized the tremendous raw talent and ability to be a top tier player but people were doubting of his ability to put it together.
The next year Eichel had his offensive coming out party potting 28 goals 54 assists and was his was first over ppg game season along with being his only healthy season since his rookie year with people saying he was beginning to scratch the surface of his potential noting he was earlier along the development curve than Mackinnon when he had his breakout. Things looked promising for the eich man as he finished well after they traded O'Reilly who won the seller and Smythe and cup which had to sting as he was left alone on an island with Reinhart and marner finished ahead with 94 points with the narrative of him being a near generational talent gone with the idea of him being a slam dunk 1 overall in any other draft dwindling and questionable. The very next year however he began to show his true colors, the pre draft hype eichel has arrived. He came out determined more than ever showing he was n elite top ten talent. He could go end to end snipe any corner from anywhere the speed, keep away and dangle ability with the vision finally he had his Mackinnon like click looking unstoppable however the season was cut short due to another injury finishing with 68 games 36 goals 42 assists for 78 points with a fully healthy season he assuredly would have broken the 40 goal barrier and cracked 90 points scratching at 100 points. Going into the next season (with Krueger again big mistake) we brought along hall former Hart winner. Eichel finally got his marner, his drai, his rantanen it was looking good with hall, eichel, skinner, stall, Reinhart, dahlin, and our rookie cozens. This was the season Eichel finally put it together he has good pieces around him now after he broke out finally going to deliver on his potential be the Sabres franchise savior assert himself as a top 3 center top 5 player ready to make that jump Ala Mackinnon. Training camp rolls around he gets hurt is visibly physically impaired by season start, looks nothing the same lost speed, his shot wasn't as lethal not strong on the puck his production reverted back to sub ppg but he did not look dominant at all wasn't taking over shifts wasn't a difference maker turns out he was playing injured to the Sabres relief but not for long. As he went down so did the Sabres season Reinhart the only player with a noteworthy season Hall fell flat on his face and was useless. Eichel required surgery in his neck which created a whole debacle resulting in his trade to Vegas where he ended up putting on a great performance resulting in a cup win showing that he is a great playoff performer. But ever since than he hasn't played a full season for Vegas and only one season above ppg. Although he has a cup before the likes of the Leafs trio and McDavid you could argue that he is not on any of their levels while a much better playoffperformer than the leaves trio they all have individually better seasons and better award finishes and pt finishes. Was eichel overhyped and overrated or was he in a bad situation where the pressure got to him and injuries derailed his career. He flashed tremendous ability before is there any hope that the pre-draft eichel is there and has a late career surrender as a top producer. As of the moment I feel like he is even questionable as a top 5 pick in a re draft with guys like kaprizov, marner, rantanen, Connor, and aho probably get taken ahead he would probably still have trouble with going over Joel ericksson ek and hintz or barzal. What would he have to do from here on out to be considered that slam dunk 1st overall pick in any other draft? It seems he isn't that dynamic two way power center who can set the table or snipe from anywhere, he was touted Tobe a top 5 forward top 3 player even during his prime he is barely a top 10 center great player but is in the lower echelon of top line players it seems players drafted with him, before him and after him processed more despite his cup. How do you view eichel? Failed franchise savior or handed unfair expectations and pressure. Was he overrated due to drumming up the draft hype machine and was hampered by it or was he legitimately that good and was closer to McDavid than the rest of his class but failed to live up his potential or was it poor management along with to many expectations that failed him. Is number 2. Slam dunk all American jack still there or was he ever there.

Holy WALL OF TEXT.

I asked AI to summarize that in a short paragraph (it's either that or debating based on your headline):

Spoiler

"Jack Eichel entered the 2015 draft with massive hype as a potential generational talent rivaling McDavid. While injuries and management issues limited his development, he later won a Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights. Though still a top player, Eichel is now viewed as strong but not quite elite compared to peers like McDavid and Matthews."

I think at times he was the best player in the NHL. Short stints that is. He lead the league in transitions, zone entries, and points over certain periods of time. But like you said, injuries, crappy teammates and/or other shortcomings have placed him in a tier below the Matthews' of the league.

I thought he'd battle for an Art at some point in time, but that seems extremely unlikely now.

So at his best he lived up to the hype, but in general perhaps a bit below what was expected?

 

[Faceboner]

Here, I used chatgpt to add paragraphs to that mess of an OP. You're welcome. Sheesh.

Jack Eichel, going into the 2015 draft, had a ridiculous amount of hype surrounding him. There were talks of the big, fast, talented, two-way, heavy-shot, great-vision player challenging McDavid. People were saying he had the better shot, was more physical, and had a better two-way game at the time, claiming his game was that of a Stanley Cup-caliber 1C. They were right, as he's now won a cup. However, people also put the generational label on Eichel due to his historic Hobey Baker-winning freshman season heading into the draft. Many noted that Eichel had very explosive skating and was a physical specimen.

The race between the two started, with Eichel and McDavid compared incessantly. Come draft lottery time, the answer to who was number 1 was revealed: Edmonton won, and by Tim Murray's reaction, the Sabres were the "losers" of the McEichel draft. The narrative shifted from "Who goes number 1?" to "Eichel would go number 1 in any draft without McDavid or Crosby." Eichel quickly became viewed as the ultimate consolation prize, but the sting remained. Despite his historic NCAA season, Eichel was drafted by someone disappointed he wasn’t his so-called rival. From there, the pressure was on Eichel to lift the Buffalo Sabres back to greatness while constantly being compared to McDavid.
Eichel put together a solid rookie campaign, but some say he was slighted, finishing 4th in Calder voting, just missing out on being a finalist. Russian rookie star, 24-year-old Panarin, put up 70-plus points en route to a Calder win, assisting Kane in his sweep of the Ross, Hart, and Lindsay awards. Eichel’s direct competition, McDavid, was injured with a collarbone injury against Philadelphia, but McDavid still put up 48 points in 45 games compared to Eichel's 56 points in 81 games. Despite this, people still thought Eichel could reach that generational/franchise-altering Hall of Fame potential.

Heading into the 2016 draft, some said Eichel would go number 1 over Matthews or Laine, though there were debates. The four – McDavid, Eichel, Matthews, and Laine – were seen as Uber-elite talents. By draft time, people viewed Matthews as a more polished product, not as raw, therefore closer to his ceiling. Matthews was compared to Toews/Kopitar as a two-way center, not the goal-scoring phenom he would become with multiple 60-plus goal seasons and Rocket trophies. At the time of the 2016 draft, Eichel was still regarded by some as similar in talent to McDavid and superior to Matthews and Laine.

After the 2016 season, Eichel finished with 61 games played due to a high ankle sprain but had a nearly identical stat line to his rookie year with 24 goals and 33 assists (57 points). His points-per-game (0.93) translated to 76 points over 82 games. While impressive, McDavid posted 30 goals and 70 assists for a 100-point season and swept the awards. The comparison shifted to Matthews and Laine, who posted notably better rookie seasons: Matthews with 40 goals and 69 points, Laine with 36 goals and 64 points. Eichel’s production would not hold up for long.
By the 2017-18 season, their stat lines looked like this:

• McDavid: 82GP, 41G, 67A, 108P (Art Ross win)
• Matthews: 62GP, 34G, 29A, 63P
• Laine: 82GP, 44G, 36A, 70P
• Eichel: 67GP, 25G, 39A, 64P

Again, Eichel missed time and was outproduced by Matthews and outscored by Laine. McDavid had separated himself from his peers with a 40-goal, 100-plus-point campaign, earning his second Art Ross and Lindsay while narrowly missing the Hart, which went to his former teammate Hall. This marked the significant emergence of Mackinnon, who had finally put together his speed, shot, strength, and playmaking ability, finishing as a Hart finalist with 39 goals and 58 assists (97 points). Mackinnon became one of the most productive players, a role many had expected for Eichel.
Heading into the 2018-19 season, Eichel was no longer viewed as McDavid’s counterpart. Instead, he was compared to the rest of his draft class, and Marner started getting attention as potentially better than Eichel. People recognized Eichel's tremendous raw talent and ability to be a top-tier player but began doubting whether he could put it all together.

The following season, Eichel had his offensive breakout, scoring 28 goals and 54 assists for his first over-point-per-game season. It was also his only fully healthy season since his rookie year. Fans noted that he was still earlier in his development curve compared to Mackinnon when he had his breakout. Eichel looked promising after the Sabres traded O'Reilly (who went on to win the Selke, Conn Smythe, and the Cup). However, the narrative of Eichel being a near-generational talent started to fade, and people questioned whether he could still be considered a slam-dunk 1st overall pick.

The very next year, Eichel seemed determined to prove himself as a top-ten talent, showcasing end-to-end ability, sniping, speed, and keep-away skills. He posted 36 goals and 42 assists for 78 points in 68 games. Though he appeared to be scratching the surface of his potential, the season was cut short due to injury. He was expected to break the 40-goal barrier and reach 90 points. However, the following season, Eichel was visibly hampered by injuries, losing his speed and shot effectiveness. He played through injury and eventually required neck surgery, which led to his trade to Vegas.

In Vegas, Eichel put on a great playoff performance, resulting in a Stanley Cup win, showing he’s a strong playoff performer. However, he hasn’t played a full season since joining Vegas and has had only one season above a point-per-game pace. Though Eichel has a Cup before McDavid and the Leafs’ trio, he hasn't reached their level in terms of individual seasons or awards. While a better playoff performer than the Leafs’ trio, they all have individually better regular seasons and finishes.
So, was Eichel overhyped and overrated, or was he simply in a bad situation, where pressure and injuries derailed his career? He has flashed tremendous ability before, but is there any hope that the pre-draft Eichel will make a comeback as a top producer? At the moment, it's questionable whether Eichel would even be a top-5 pick in a re-draft, with players like Kaprizov, Marner, Rantanen, Connor, and Aho likely taken ahead. He might even have trouble being selected over players like Joel Eriksson Ek, Hintz, or Barzal.

What would Eichel have to do from here on out to be considered that slam-dunk first overall pick in any other draft? It seems he isn't the dynamic two-way power center capable of setting the table or sniping from anywhere as touted. While he's a great player, he seems to be in the lower echelon of top-line players, with others drafted with, before, or after him progressing more. How do you view Eichel? Is he a failed franchise savior or someone handed unfair expectations and pressure? Was he overrated due to draft hype, or was he legitimately that good but failed to live up to his potential due to poor management and overwhelming expectations? Is the number 2, All-American Jack, still there, or was he ever really there?

Thank you

Easily concede that Eichel has vastly unperformed predictions of his individual records. From all that I've heard locally from folks who know him personally, Eichel now is pretty much a "do my job and then go home and play with my dog" sort of guy, plus a notorious gym-rat.

Sounds like my type of guy like me actually

 

[WhataKnight]

I have seen guys in pick up games working harder than him.

I’m going to bet that it was while he was wearing a Sabres uniform.

He’s no passenger in Vegas. He looked one hell of a lot like Patrice Bergeron in their Cup run.

 

[Faceboner]

All this to say you’re mad about him going to a political rally?

I have no idea of his politics nor do I care to in fact I've distanced from the whole left right political theater. If a rally is what you like so be it not my time

 

[thebestnic]

I don’t think he’ll ever quite reach his initial ceiling…..buf it’s beyond pretty awesome that he still tops out at the 200ft., offensively gifted-yet-defensively-minded 1C shown since.

Luck with health and the right consistent triggerman could yield a “Thornton/Cheechoo 2.0” tandem, though.

I find him very underrated defensively. He's one of the best PKer in the league.

 

[Nikolajs Sillers]

Not capable of reading all that, so I'm disqualified.