Jack Eichel Overhyped or Overshadowed

[Faceboner]

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.

Do you think eichel can break into that top 5 scorer tier though if fully healthy and put himself back in the conversation with matthews and barkov? Barkov who has a Smythe, cup, 3 selkes Matthews 3 rockets and a Hart.

 

[GeeoffBrown]

Looking at the draft, I would only take McDavid and Rantanen over Eichel, so a slight drop from 2nd to 3rd? Or, mathematically, you could say he was 33% overhyped

 

[benfranklin]

Way too long to read. Hes been as advertised. Buffalo wasted his first 6 years with poor management and shocker, he leaves and instantly wins a Cup and arguably should have won the Conn Smythe in their run. He isnt McDavid good and thats ok. That entire draft has a huge drop off from McDavid and Rantanen is the only player I'd 100% take over Eichel. You can argue Marner/Werenski/Barzal so worst case Eichel goes 4th-5th-6th overall still.

 

[GeeoffBrown]

I guess one thing that is not Eichel's fault is he was hyped to be the 2nd best player in the 2015 draft but the 2015 draft turned out to have many star players, which is great for the league but bad for Eichel for the purposes of this thread LOL

 

[JackSlater]

Yes he was overhyped, in that it was presented that he was the best prospect outside of McDavid since Crosby, with whispers that maybe he could be as good as McDavid. Not the best player since Crosby, McDavid or not, but still a great talent. It's obvious that injuries got in the way of fulfilling his potential, which isn't his fault. Also seemed like he had a shitty attitude to start out, largely his fault. Despite those things he has been great for long stretches.

Regardless of how his career has gone he is a first overall type talent, so I can't say that he was massively overhyped. Even with how his career has gone he's been better than various first overalls.

 

[BKarchitect]

Do you think eichel can break into that top 5 scorer tier though if fully healthy and put himself back in the conversation with matthews and barkov? Barkov who has a Smythe, cup, 3 selkes Matthews 3 rockets and a Hart.

I think he’s got that kind of talent. The size, speed and strength to dominate in the neutral zone and the dual-threat high level shot and passing. And he’s not Barkov but I think Vegas asks more of him defensively (and he provides it) than guys like McDrai and MacK.

I mean it’s really all there but Vegas is much more of a score by committee team. He’ll be 28 later this month. I wouldn’t be terribly shocked if he had like a really special season left him where maybe he stuffs the stat sheet enough to draw some additional attention. But at this point, I think the production just doesn’t line up with what people want to see for that “tier” and while he’s become a really robust two-way center in Vegas, he’s not a Barkov in that department, even if he’s underrated in it.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

I think he’s got that kind of talent. The size, speed and strength to dominate in the neutral zone and the dual-threat high level shot and passing. And he’s not Barkov but I think Vegas asks more of him defensively (and he provides it) than guys like McDrai and MacK.

I mean it’s really all there but Vegas is much more of a score by committee team. He’ll be 28 later this month. I wouldn’t be terribly shocked if he had like a really special season left him where maybe he stuffs the stat sheet enough to draw some additional attention. But at this point, I think the production just doesn’t line up with what people want to see for that “tier” and while he’s become a really robust two-way center in Vegas, he’s not a Barkov in that department, even if he’s underrated in it.

Ya, I went from being a huge Jack fan, to really disliking him, to thinking he can kinda be a dink while agreeing with him completely on wanting outta Buffalo- dude could score 120 points when healthy, but why bother? If Vegas is as they’ve been, getting to the postseason healthy is the bigger thing for Jack.

Seriously, I started a whole thread about his slowish start with Vegas, when he was sub ppg. He got a bit healthier, adjusted to a new system, but like- at his best he looked like a top 5 league-wide player while in Buffalo. He didn’t do that until he had to for Vegas, in playoffs, when it matters. On a bad team I think he could go full Taylor Hall now, but he’s playing a balanced, cerebral game. So- I ain’t reading that wall of text OP posted, but this is my own long-winded way of saying he could be a top 5 forward while not being a top 5 scorer. Again, depends on Vegas’ build/season, but he did well focusing on the all—around game until it was time to dominate a bit in the playoffs.

 

[MakeTheGoalsLarger]

Thanks to the op I discovered the Read aloud function in Edge.

I thought laying down and listening to the first post would be easy . It was not.

Yeah in retrospect Eichel did not meet the most optimist expectations but I don't think that makes him overhyped. He would make an ok 1st pick.

 

[PaulD]

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?

Who said one player is responsible for his team's success?
If some one did it sure he'll wasn't me so.
Get the right guy buddy.
Like Vegas did.

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

leave Marners play off efforts out of this

 

[M88K]

Carrying a team in the playoffs as the #1C is more impressive than collecting gaudy point totals in low-intensity regular season games where time and space is awarded much more easily compared to playoff hockey.

That's not what happened

 

[Frank Drebin]

Who said one player is responsible for his team's success?
If some one did it sure he'll wasn't me so.
Get the right guy buddy.
Like Vegas did.


leave Marners play off efforts out of this

I forgot, buddy.

You’re the guy who tries to make useless dunks on leafs players every thread.

 

[PaulD]

The way he played in all four rounds
while winning the Cup as the number one center on the Knights.........If he did same in Toronto he would already have the key to the city, a statue downtown , and several books written about him.
Eichel get the last laugh.
Great player.

 

[krutovsdonut]

eichel is a great example of the power of nurture over nature for some folks. put him on a bad headless chicken team and he's a flawed selfish player that slides into the poisonous culture. put him on a good team with urgency and accountability and he is disciplined 2 way 1c and a key piece in winning a cup. both are who he is.

 

[GhostfaceWu]

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

Yeah he was also a key player on an absolute gong show organization. Getting plucked onto ta team that made the finals few years earlier and has been a perennial contender isnt exactly something to brag about.