The World Can Only Hope That Jack Eichel Has Played His Final Game As A Buffalo Sabre
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Injury or no injury, there was simply no way that Jack Eichel was going to play another game this season for the Buffalo Sabres. That decision to get surgery had to be the quickest, most decisive decision he's ever made in his life. Taylor Hall has been traded. Eric Staal has been trade. Jeff Skinner has the worst contract in all of sports. Rasmus Dahlin is coming dangerously close to being a bust. You're on your 50th coach. The whole situation is a nightmare. I'd be rushing to the hospital for them to knock me out with some anesthesia, too, if I were Eichel.
So it's no surprise that Captain Jack is shutting it down for the rest of the season. But now you have to start wondering if we've seen Eichel play his final game in a Sabres sweater. Because the same day the news comes out about Eichel being done for the year, the Sabres also threw this little nugget out there.
Honestly I thought Kevyn Adams made a lot of really good decisions in his first year as GM of the Sabres. I thought the Hall signing was great. I thought bringing in Staal made a ton of sense. I think Jack Quinn was the right pick for them in the draft. Dylan Cozens proved that he can slot right into an NHL lineup and Kevyn Adams made that call. I don't know. Obviously I think the organization is just absolute shit, but Kevyn Adams made some good calls that just didn't work out because Buffalo is cursed. Also his hands were totally tied to send Taylor Hall to Boston, so you can't hold it against him that he wasn't able to get a massive haul in return for the biggest underachiever of the year.
So why would they need to bringing in an associate GM to help him out right now? Because clearly the Sabres have some serious moves to make this offseason. Moves that include hiring a full time head coach, and figuring out what to do with Captain Jack. And as much as I love the good people of Buffalo…the NHL will be in a much better place the moment Jack Eichel gets to play for an actual team.
He is a superstar. He is one of the most talented hockey players in the world. He's a guy who has the ability to be in the Hart conversation year after year. But for now, he's just a part of the biggest joke in the league. It would be like if you took someone as musically talented as John Mayer and had him performing with The Wiggles his entire career. Sure, it'll suck for Sabres fans. But you guys can't be so selfish to think it's better to keep Eichel in Buffalo with the hope that maybe one day 7 years from now they'll be able to win a playoff series.
Personally, I think Eichel would be a great fit here in Philly. The Flyers are another team that desperately needs to undergo a massive roster makeover. Send Jake Voracek, Shayne Gostisbehere, and a 1st round pick to Buffalo for Eichel. Makes more sense than sending Eichel to the Rangers where he wouldn't even be able to wear his #9. Just something for Chuck Fletcher and Kevyn Adams to think about.