Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 

Eichel: "I Want To Be In Buffalo When We Start Winning"

August 18, 2017, 11:36 AM ET [23 Comments]
GARTH'S CORNER
NHL news by Garth • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Jack Eichel will become a very wealthy man in the days to come. Earlier this week, Eichel told the Lowell Sun that he wants to be a Buffalo Asante for many years to come. Contract negotiations between the Sabres and Camp Eichel are ongoing.




"We're in the midst of it. It's between my agent and Mr. (Jason) Botterill," Eichel said Wednesday. "I'm just going to work hard this summer. All of that tends to take care of itself. Obviously the contract is important. But for me it's all about the play."

Eichel is a mature young man. He turns 21 in October. He wants to deliver a Stanley cup to the young and old hockey crazed lunatics who support his Sabres.


"I've made it clear that I want to be a Sabre. I want to be in Buffalo when we start winning. I want to reward the city. It's been two great years. I don't want to go anywhere else," he said.

In June, the Edmonton Oilers re-signed their franchise player Connor McDavid to a whopping 8-year, $100 million contract extension. McDavid was the first overall pick at the 2015 NHL Draft. Eichel was drafted second overall behind McDavid.

The Sabres have an appetite to re-sign Eichel to a long term deal. Eichel won't be getting McDavid's $12.5M AAV, however, he won't be signing for Leon Draisaitl's $8.5M AAV. Earlier this week, Draisaitl signed a new 8-year, $68 million contract extension. Last month, Nashville re-signed center Ryan Johansen to a new 8-year, $64 million deal.

I have said for the past six months that Eichel will be re-signing for 8 years and $80 million. I'm sticking to my guns. Eichel is every bit a $10M AAV man.

When his contract negotiations are said and done, Eichel will be one of the highest paid players in the NHL. Eichel will live up to expectations. When healthy, I can see Eichel scoring 40 goals and adding 50 to 60 assists this season.

Eichel raised eyebrows with a monster rookie season by scoring 24 goals and 32 assists in 81 games played in 2015-16. His sophomore season was delayed nub eichel missing the first 21 games of the season due to a dastardly, freak high ankle sprain injury he suffered in a power play drill with teammate Zemgus Girgensons in practice the day before the season opener versus Montreal.

"It was frustrating. I wanted to be off and running. It was a bad bounce. But injuries happen. It wasn't the easiest injury to deal with. I started to play much better the second half of the season. But for me the most frustrating part was the underachieving of the team. I thought we had a pretty good team," Eichel said.

Eichel exploded for 24 goals and 33 assists and 57 points in just 61 games played last season.






In April, Sabres ownership blew up the front office by firing head coach Dan Bylsma and GM Tim Murray. To say that Eichel and his teammates were frustrated to play in Bylsma's restrictive system would be an understatement.

Eichel is very much looking forward to playing in Phil Housley's five-man-in-the-attack-at-all-times system.

"A bit of change might have been good for us. We're trying to build a positive culture. It is frustrating. You want to win. The NHL is a hard league and it's very competitive," Eichel said.
Join the Discussion: » 23 Comments » Post New Comment
More from GARTH'S CORNER
» Hailing Taxis
» He With The Gold Makes The Rules
» Sedentary Seven
» The Sedentary Seven
» GadZuccs