If not for Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel would have been a bonafide top overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. The Buffalo Sabres have to thank their lucky stars everyday that McDavid was in that class, because they were able to snag the super-prospect second overall, and have reaped the benefits. Jersey and ticket sales have improved, and the team contends on a nightly basis. For a franchise that seemed to have no direction last season, they now have excitement, something that has eluded the team since goalie Dominik Hasek left in 2001.
Hasek is known by many as the most exciting goalie to ever play the game. He was also damn good. His creative style of goaltending involved him just throwing his body at pucks and hoping to just make contact with the puck. His play was just an extreme form of the Hybrid style used by many goalies today, utilizing both the Stand Up style used in the 1980's and prior and the Butterfly style that came to fruition in the 1990's. Hasek would be flying across the ice and through the crease to stop even the most lethal snipers.
Hasek's exciting play was good enough to get the Sabres to a Stanley Cup Finals appearance in 1999, losing a tough series to the Dallas Stars. While excitement doesn't always yield results, Hasek's skill was more than enough to carry the franchise.
Now, the team has Jack Eichel. Eichel has already made plays that have left opponents bewildered. He looks like a superstar already, and he's not even 20 games into his career. If you watch him play, you see that he could be a points leader on his team, but linemates such as Matt Moulson have been missing chances created by the young forward. His stats are not impressive, honestly, with his most notable fault coming in the face-off dock, sitting at 45% on the year.
Stats are not what you look for in a rookie. Play for a young guy is judged on the eye test, and Eichel brings an excitement to his team that most rookies just can not do. He is on pace for okay numbers, but his impact will be made in the coming years, as he grows into the role of star for the Sabres.
