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Eichel Ready To Rest, Relax, Rejuvenate

April 10, 2016, 3:14 PM ET [41 Comments]
GARTH'S CORNER
NHL news by Garth • RSSArchiveCONTACT




Buffalo Sabres locker clean out day is over. The 2015-16 NHL season is officially done for the players.

Tim Murray and Dan Bylsma will meet the press on Monday afternoon.

They are now free to venture home to collect their thoughts and to make summer plans with their families. Jack Eichel said that he is going to put away his hockey bag for a while. He said that he is going to rest, recover and rejuvenate his mind and body. Eichel will be reporting to World Cup training camp in September. Between now and then, the super center will kick up his heels and relax. Eichel led led the Sabres with 30 goal sin 1987-88.the Sabres in goal scoring with 24. He is the first rookie to lead the team in goal scoring since Ray Sheppard in 1987-88. Only six other Sabres rookies have scored more: Rick Martin (44), Gilbert Perreault (38), Ray Sheppard (38), Danny Gare (31), Donald Audette (31) and Thomas Vanek (25).

A rest period is exactly what the doctor has ordered for Eichel who has been skating full blast at 120 mph since the Beanpot Tournament in February 2015. Since then, he has played in the Frozen Four; 2015 NCAA Hockey Finals; attended and owned the 2015 NHL Combine in May; was selected 2nd overall at NHL Draft in June; attended the Buffalo Prospects Camp in July; attended Buffalo training camp in September; then played his rookie NHL season from October 2015-April 2016.

I'm exhausted by Eichel's activity level. I'm amazed at his ability to tune out all of the noise and distractions and perform at the highest heights of his skill level. It's remarkable to see the strides that Eichel has made this season. The sky is the limit with him.


Thanks, Sabres.com



Eichel's teammates are also moving in other directions.

Jack and Rasmus Ristolainen will be playing for Team North America ("Young Guns" from USA and Canada) and Finland, respectively, at the World Cup tourney in September. Eichel will play on the U-23 Young Stars Team. Zemgus Girgensons will be a candidate to play for Team Europe. Samson Reinhart may also be getting an invite to play for the Young Guns. Risto for Finland. Team Canada would be wise to invite Ryan O'Reilly to play for Canada.


Robin Lehner and Tyler Ennis are going to work on their health and fitness. Both players suffered serious injuries during this season and are aiming to come back stronger than ever before.

Veteran unrestricted free agent David Legwand's days may be numbered in Buffalo. His NHL career may have just ended. He is co-owner of the OHL Sarnia Sting. He has a bright future in that business. Chad Johnson may be skating away to find a #1 job elsewhere via free agency.

Ryan O'Reilly and Zemgus Girgensons are heading off to the IIHF World Championships in Russia. Others will follow them to the Wolds. I can definitely see Team Canada asking Samson Reinhart to join their team. Other Sabres players are going to book tropical holiday vacations and lay on a beach in a far away land. Far, far away from the grind of the day to day life of an NHLer.

It was shortly after he spoke to a few of us about the many exciting and beneficial experiences of his rookie season as a Buffalo Sabre. Eichel was asked by my friend Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News to offer what kind of “sales pitch” he would offer to his close friend and fellow Hobey Baker winner, Jimmy Vesey.


Smiling, Eichel said:

“It's a great future here. It's a great city to play in. It's a great team to be a part of. We have a young group that's headed in the right direction. It's definitely a hockey city. People care about you here. People would love to have you and it's a great place to play."

Last month, Vesey exercised an option that he had earned as a four year college hockey player. To the chagrin he Nashville Predators drafted Vesey in 2012 and Vesey never signed his entry level contract with them, Now, he is free to become an unrestricted free agent on August 15.

Vesey is now free to roam about the NHL in search of his new hockey home.

The 19 year Eichel can now offer valuable testimony and candor to his 22 year old friend Vesey.

Jack now has one full season of NHL experience on his resume. He has been there, done that. He can share his experiences and knowledge with his good friend as he prepares to embark on his own NHL journey.


Eichel and Vesey are close friends. They grew up 25 miles away from one another. They hang out at the same rinks. They know the same people. They won a bronze medal playing with one another at the Worlds in Prague last spring. They now share the same player agent. Eichel and Vesey will be seeing each other in the coming days and weeks. They will chit chat, and will get caught up. Two Hobey Baker Award winners talking, laughing and contemplating their futures.

"I talked to Jimmy last night quickly. Nothing about free agency," said Eichel.

Vesey finished runner-up to Eichel at the 2015 Hobey Baker Award ceremony. This time around, with Eichel doing serious work for the NHL Buffalo Sabres, Vesey earned his Hobey Baker. Still, Vesey is hearing all of the chatter and smack about how he left the Nashville Predators at the proverbial altar.

"I know he's going through a lot right now. I just shot him a quick text congratulating him on the Hobey Baker. This (Buffalo) is definitely somewhere that would be a great place to play for him. I'll see him plenty this summer. I don't have to bug him about it. I'm sure everyone else is and I know he's going through a lot right now from what he said."

Vesey, a Boston native, would be wise to side step the Bruins. They are about to fire their Stanley Cup winning head coach and many other changes will happen this summer when Don Sweeney and Cam Neeley finally roll up their sleeves. Why would Vesey want his first experience in the NHL to be a potentially negative one?

Why would Vesey want to land in 30th place Toronto where they won't be winning for at least 3-4 seasons ?

His father Jim Vesey, Sr. is a current New England area college scout for the Leafs who also drafted Jimmy's brother, Nolan, in 2014. Smell tampering, folks? The NHL are aware that the tanking Leafs have hired Vesey father and drafted his brother. The Leafs are going to be watched closely in the months to come leading up to August 15, the date that Vesey becomes UFA.

On Friday night at the Frozen Four in Tampa, Jimmy Vesey Sr. spoke on the record for the first time regarding his son's brilliant hockey future. The elder Vesey said emphatically that he would prefer his son NOT play in Boston because of the tension, scrutiny, and pressure of being a local kid. All the weight of the world will be on his broad shoulders. No father wants his son to see his son struggle. Vesey, Sr. is a former high level hockey player who knows the rigors of the NHL. Vesey also said that the final decision will be Jimmy's. In other words, Vesey isn't going to play for Toronto just because his father collects a pay check from the Leafs.
On Friday night in Tampa, Vesey squirtd Gatorade on the premise that he is destined to play in Boston.

"I don't know where that's coming from," Vesey said.

"I'm not allowed to talk to any team until August 15. There are 29 teams I can look at and I'll find the best fit for me."

Vesey, 6'3” and 200 lbs. scored 80 goals and averaged a point a game in his four years inside the hallowed halls of Harvard. Vesey scored 24 goals and racked up 46 points in 33 games this season.

Vesey sure would make a statement while playing alongside Jack Eichel and Samson Reinhart for the next decade in Buffalo.

What pressure?


Tim Murray cannot speak with pending UFA Jimmy Vesey and his agent until August 15. However, Jack Eichel can speak with his friend Jimmy Vesey tomorrow, the next day, the day after that, the day after that, the day after that.....


***

◾Jack Eichel (24) and Sam Reinhart (23) combined for 47 goals this season. It was the second-highest total by a pair of rookies on the same team since the 2005-06 season. The only rookie duo with more goals was Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal (62 goals in 2006-07). Chicago’s Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane in (45 goals in 2007-08) ranked third.

◾Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart are now the third pair of Sabres rookies ever to record 20 goals in the same season, joining Danny Gare (31) and Peter McNab (22) in 1974-75 and Gilbert Perreault (38) and Steve Atkinson (20) in 1970-71.

◾Jack Eichel became the ninth Sabres rookie to record 50 points in a season in franchise history and the youngest to do so since Phil Housley (1982-83), tying Derek Plante (1993-94) for seventh-most points (56) by a Sabres rookie.

◾Jack Eichel (56) and Sam Reinhart (42) are also the first pair of Sabres rookies to each hit the 35-point mark since three Sabres rookies did so in 1987-88: Ray Sheppard (65), Pierre Turgeon (42) and Calle Johansson (42)

◾Jack Eichel’s average ice time of 19:07 was the ninth-highest ever recorded by a rookie forward and the highest ever by Sabres rookie forward, topping the next highest (Cody Hodgson- 20 GP, 17:16) by nearly two minutes. (The NHL began tracking ice time in the 1997-98 season)

◾Jack Eichel ranked second among all Sabres and led all NHL rookies with 238 shots this season. Danny Gare (274 in 1974-75) and Rick Martin (266 in 1971-72) were the only two Sabres rookies ever to record more shots than Eichel’s rookie total. Since the league began denoting rookies in 1987-88, only 11 NHL rookies have recorded more shots on goal in a season than Eichel’s 238.

◾With his goal on Oct. 8 vs. Ottawa, Jack Eichel became the third-youngest player in Sabres history to score in his debut and the second-youngest player ever to score in a Sabres season-opener.

◾With his goal on March 7 at Toronto, Jack Eichel (19 years, 131 days) became the youngest 20-goal scorer in Sabres history, besting Pierre Turgeon (19 years, 140 days on Jan. 15, 1989) by nine days.





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With a team-high 60 points, Ryan O’Reilly became the 13th Sabres player to record at least 60 points in his first season with the team and the first since Pat LaFontaine (1991-92).

◾Ryan O’Reilly (21:44) led all NHL forwards in average ice time per game and Evander Kane (21:02) ranked second. The pair currently own the two highest average career ice times by Sabres forwards. Michael Peca (20:18) is the only other forward with an average over 20 minutes.

◾With Cal O’Reilly’s Sabres debut on Dec. 15 vs. New Jersey, he and Ryan O’Reilly became the first siblings to play together for the Sabres since Bob and J.F. Sauve, who played together from 1980-81 to 1982-83.

◾Cal O’Reilly’s first goal on March 31 vs. Toronto (assisted by Ryan O’Reilly) marked the first time in Sabres history that two brothers have combined on a goal.




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Rasmus Ristolainen ranked 10th in the NHL with an average ice time of 25:16 per game. Only Alexei Zhitnik (four times) has averaged more minutes per game in a full season with the Sabres.

◾Rasmus Ristolainen became the first Sabres defenseman to record 19 points in a 20-game span (Nov. 7 to Dec. 17) since Garry Galley did so from Feb. 21, 1996 to April 3, 1996.
◾Rasmus Ristolainen’s game-winner at 19:43 of the third period on Nov. 7 vs. Vancouver was the Sabres’ latest regulation game-winning goal since Mike Grier scored at 19:55 of the third period on March 11, 2006 at Philadelphia.

◾Rasmus Ristolainen ranked third among all Sabres and ninth among all NHL defensemen with 202 shots this season. Only four other Sabres defenseman have logged at least 200 shots in a season: Jocelyn Guevremont (1975-76, 1976-77), Phil Housley (1983-84, 1986-87, 1987-88, 1989-90), Jerry Korab (1974-75, 1977-78 and 1978-79) and John Van Boxmeer (1980-81).





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Ryan O’Reilly (21:44) led all NHL forwards in average ice time per game and Evander Kane (21:02) ranked second. The pair currently own the two highest average career ice times by Sabres forwards. Michael Peca (20:18) is the only other forward with an average over 20 minutes.

◾Evander Kane led all Sabres and ranked 10th in the NHL with 271 shots this season despite missing 17 games to injury. Kane’s 271 shots rank 11th in franchise history and his 4.2 shots per game rank fourth in franchise history behind only Alexander Mogilny (4.68 in 1992-93), Rick Martin (4.43 in 1974-75) and Dave Andreychuk (4.21 in 1991-92).
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