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Jack Eichel

NHL Snapshots: Engelland, Pastrnak, Eichel

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There were some confused faces a couple of months ago when fading veteran defenseman Deryk Engelland was one of the first players that the Vegas Golden Knights began to negotiate with when the team’s clock started to get the first-crack at negotiating with free agents. Afterall, the long-time veteran was never a blueliner to put up offensive numbers, but it was his defensive skills and speed that had begun to show signs of wear and tear in the last year or two.

Yet, the Golden Knights chose to ink the 35-year old to a one-year, $1MM deal instead of taking one of Calgary’s exposed players in the expansion draft. Perhaps the main reason is that Engelland has been an offseason resident of Las Vegas for the last 14 years, according to Alex Prewitt of Sports Illustrated. He initially spent two years in Las Vegas starting in 2003, playing for the ECHL’s Las Vegas Wranglers, where he eventually met his wife and then settled down in the city. His knowledge and experience with the fledgling sports city has proven valuable to many Vegas-bound players who are slowly arriving for the team’s inaugural season. The veteran has helped several players including defenseman Nate Schmidt and forward Erik Haula in getting settled before the season starts.

Engelland’s veteran presence and leadership skills should prove valuable to a stable of young defenseman such as Schmidt, Shea Theodore, Luca Sbisa, Brayden McNabb, Jonathon Merrill and Colin Miller amongst several others.

  • Lyle Richardson of The Hockey News writes that despite an earlier rumor that Boston’s David Pastrnak might be traded which was quickly shot down by Bruins’ general manager Don Sweeney, the team’s hopes of signing him to a six-year deal for $6MM annually is not going to happen. Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl’s new eight-year, $64MM deal will only make negotiations with Pastrnak’s camp more challenging for the GM. Richardson writes that he believes Pastrnak’s camp may not ask for the $8.5MM AAV that Draisaitl received, but the Bruins must at least come up to a minimum of $7MM annually to get a long-term deal struck.
  • Speaking of long-term deals, Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington writes that phenom Jack Eichel has made it explicitly clear that he wants to sign a long-term deal to stay in Buffalo. The scribe also writes that both sides want the extension completed before training camp starts next month. “I’ve made it clear that I want to be a Sabre. I want to be in Buffalo when we start winning,” Eichel reiterated. “I want to reward the city. It’s been two great years. I don’t want to go anywhere else.” After recent extensions for Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, the team must figure out where Eichel’s contract should fit. Harrington suggests a deal around $9MM per year is what Buffalo hopes to ink him to. The 20-year old is coming off a second 24-goal season, but this year he did it in fewer games, having missed 21 games due to a high ankle sprain suffered at the beginning of the season.

Morning Notes: Eichel, Hyman, De Haas

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The recent signing of Leon Draisaitl to an eight-year, $68MM contract has put the spotlight on some other players around the league, perhaps most notably Jack Eichel of the Buffalo Sabres. Eichel is currently in contract negotiations with the Buffalo Sabres on what would likely be an eight-year extension, even though he’s not a restricted free agent until next summer. Darren Dreger of TSN joined WGR 550 in Buffalo today to talk about the potential contract, and he suggested something that few Buffalo fans wanted to hear.

Dreger believes the comparable for Eichel is still Connor McDavid, who signed an eight-year $100MM extension earlier this summer, and thinks the Buffalo center could get as much as $9.5MM on his new deal. That’s a huge number for a player who was limited by injury last season, and would put him among the top-10 players in the league. It seems like a ridiculous amount, but Eichel does have a higher points-per-game rate than Draisaitl and is already a full-time center. The face of the Sabres’ franchise should have a deal done within the next few weeks, as both sides want to get it done before training camp.

  • Zach Hyman knows that he could be pushed down the lineup in Toronto after the Maple Leafs signed Patrick Marleau, but he’s okay with that. Speaking with Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun, Hyman made it clear that he’s just dedicated to winning and is happy to have even more depth on the wing. After a season in which he faced plenty of crisiticm for his perceived lack of “finish”—Hyman scored just 10 goals and 28 points despite playing with Auston Matthews for every game—he was signed to a four-year contract this summer. A clear favorite of Mike Babcock, Hyman sounded like a future coach when he told Hornby that “it’s good to have this problem.” The 25-year old will likely spend more time in a bottom-six role this year, where he could thrive chasing down weaker defenders in the offensive zone.
  • The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have signed James De Haas to an AHL contract. The 23-year old defenseman was a Detroit Red Wings draft pick, but became a free agent on Wednesday after finishing his four years at Clarkson University. He’s an interesting prospect that found a lot of success in the NCAA but doesn’t have a standout tool. Still, his size, skating and defensive ability could lead him to fill a depth role on the Philadelphia roster eventually. After logging huge minutes at Clarkson, he could step right into a big role for the Phantoms, who rely on more offensive-minded options like T.J. Brennan and Will O’Neill at present.

U.S. National Development Program Announces 2017-18 Schedule

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It’s hard to make an argument that the American junior hockey system is superior to the Canadian junior hockey system. Sure, the USHL has been improving every year and the growth of college hockey has lead to a greater proportion of NHL draft picks coming out of the U.S. junior ranks than ever before. Still, the depth of talent and caliber of player coming out of the OHL, WHL, and QMJHL will almost always stand up to the best of the USHL or other lower tier leagues. However, the one thing Canadian juniors does not have that has been wildly successful in the United States is the presence of a National Development Program.

Located in Plymouth, Michigan the USNTDP houses both a U-18 and U-17 team, both of which travel throughout the country and sometimes even the globe to play hockey at many levels. The 2017-18 schedule, announced today, highlights the uniqueness of the national program. Unlike Canadian juniors, which can dominate the lives of the players, the teams largely travel on weekends, freeing the players up to live somewhat normal lives as high school students during the week. Additionally, rather than play against the same competition all year long, the team mixes it up quite a lot. Both squads play a majority of their games against local USHL competition and both also participate in national and international tournaments, but the U-17 team also squares off against teams from the Tier II NAHL, while the U-18 team is tested in exhibition games against NCAA programs from around the country. The U-18 team is scheduled to go up against college power houses like Harvard, Boston University, North Dakota, and Notre Dame this season.

Recruited from around the country, USNTDP players are the best of the best of junior-age Americans. The program has produced current NHLers like Auston Matthews, Jack Eichel, Patrick Kane, Phil Kessel, Seth Jones, and Zach Werenski just to name a few, with Calder candidates like Charlie McAvoy, Clayton Keller, and Alex Tuch about to make the jump as well. The prospect machine doesn’t show any signs of slowing down, so don’t miss the opportunity to catch the team in action if any of their games are with reachable distance. Current U-18 members include 2018 projected top picks like Joel Farabee, Bode Wilde, Oliver Wahlstrom and Jake Wise, who you’ll know soon enough as budding NHL stars.

Jack Eichel, Sabres Discussing Eight-Year Contract Extension

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According to the Associated Press, Jack Eichel and the Buffalo Sabres are negotiating on an eight-year contract extension. While it’s no surprise that the team wants to get an extension done this summer, the report indicates that talks have been ongoing for over a month and now concern a max-length deal. Like Connor McDavid, who signed an eight-year extension earlier this summer, Eichel has one year remaining on his entry-level contract before becoming a restricted free agent in the summer of 2018. Jack Eichel

While McDavid will be the first player that jumps to mind as a measuring stick because of their connection through the draft, Eichel isn’t really in the same class as the $100MM man. McDavid’s $12.5MM average salary is out of reach, but an eight-year deal should still be quite pricey for the Sabres. Despite being only 20, Eichel is just five years away from unrestricted free agency meaning an eight-year extension would buy out four UFA seasons.

An interesting comparable would be Nathan MacKinnon, who last summer signed a seven-year deal that bought out three free agent years. Like Eichel, MacKinnon was a top draft pick (first-overall in 2013) who had found success as an 18-year old in the league. MacKinnon had played three seasons and held a .70 points-per-game rate, while Eichel eclipses that at .80 so far in his short career. Taking into account the increase in salary cap, extra UFA year and increased production you can start to see how Eichel’s extension will easily exceed the $6.3MM average salary that MacKinnon signed for.

The other thing in Eichel’s favor is how clearly he is the face of the franchise going forward. While Ryan O’Reilly and Evander Kane are both excellent (if not elite) players, and Rasmus Ristolainen is the core of the defense, Buffalo knows that their hopes rely on Eichel turning into the superstar he has shown flashes of. That should bode well in his negotiations as he tries to push his total closer to $80MM and a $10MM cap hit. Actually breaking the double digit barrier seems far-fetched, as it would put him among the leagues highest-paid players directly out of his entry-level contract, but something comparable to or even exceeding Ryan Johansen’s recent $64MM extension isn’t actually out of the question.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

East Notes: Bylsma, Guentzel, Rowney

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The Athletic’s Craig Custance caught up with former Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma who had some thoughts on how the Detroit Red Wings should approach their roster. Ironically enough, Bylsma grew up a Detroit fan, since he was a Michigan resident. Custance quizzed Bylsma on a number of topics, including a Red Wings rebuild and his time with the Sabres. On the Red Wings, Bylsma admits that Detroit is no longer model franchise in the league and that fans will “never see” the team they once saw that featured bonafide stars like Luc Robitaille, Brett Hull, Steve Yzerman, and Sergei Fedorov, to name a few. The former bench boss guesses that the Red Wings roster will look dynamically different in three years as they’ll be forced to rebuild a team that has certainly struggled. He also believes fans are ready for a rebuild, preferring to see a competitive team that grows into playoff dominance instead of keeping the “streak” alive with aging players and early playoff exits. He doesn’t believe, however, that the Red Wings need a total teardown to win. Instead, he thinks that steady drafting can keep Detroit relevant without ripping out the foundation.

  • When it came to talking about Buffalo, however, Bylsma was coy. When he arrived in Buffalo, the team was in the midst of a tear down and rebuilding with the likes of Jack Eichel, and other young, dynamic players. While there were some strides, last season was disastrous, costing both Bylsma and former general manager Tim Murray their jobs. Bylsma admits to Custance that he didn’t want to talk about what happened in Buffalo while explaining that Detroit hasn’t gutted things like Buffalo did. He also believes that a teardown-build up program takes several years, sometimes up to five. That’s understandable from his vantage point, given that he only had two years in Buffalo to try and win. It has to be said that Toronto’s resurgence couldn’t have helped matters, as the Leafs not only qualified for the playoffs, but gave Washington a scare in the first round.
  • NBC Sports’ Adam Gretz writes that with Connor Sheary re-signed, the Pittsburgh Penguins will turn their attention to grabbing a third line center. He makes a couple suggestions, wondering if Jake Guentzel could move over to center line or if youngster Carter Rowney is ready for full time duty. The most realistic option, Gretz believes, is for Pittsburgh general manager Jim Rutherford to explore trades to fill the vacancy and give the Pens a solid chance to win their third consecutive Cup.

How Much Should Jack Eichel Get?

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Many publications discuss Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel in the same sentence. That’s because the two have been linked together for years as they went No. 1 and No. 2 overall in the 2015 draft. They both were considered franchise changing centers and neither has disappointed. However four days into the offseason, the Edmonton Oilers locked up their franchise center, agreeing to an eight-year, $100MM contract, giving him an AAV of $12.5MM. Is Eichel next and how much will he command?

While both players have been talked about together and both have performed admirally, McDavid’s exorbitant contact makes sense. The two-year veteran has scored 46 goals and 102 assists in that span and he actually missed almost half of his rookie season. His 100-point season is a rarity in hockey, but it was a season that captured him the Hart Memorial Trophy as the MVP of the league, the Art Ross Trophy for having the most points in a season, the Ted Lindsay Award, voted on by players and given to the most outstanding player during the regular season. He made his first all-star appearance and was named to the NHL First All-Star Team all in this past year. And at age 20, there is plenty of optimism that he could take his game to new levels.

After awarding that contract to McDavid, Eichel’s turn to sign on the dotted line should be approaching. The question is what is he going to ask for. The 20-year-old, who was the second-overall pick in 2015, might be a nudge ahead of McDavid on goals scored with 48, but Eichel has also played 15 more games than McDavid. Eichel has put up great numbers, scoring 24 goals in both his first two seasons, but his playmaking skills haven’t been as impressive as McDavid. He finished with 56 points in his rookie season and 57 points in his sophomore campaign, although he played 20 games less this past year. He could be holding out for a bigger contract, assuming he will have a breakout year that might garner a similar contract to McDavids.

However, it’s unlikely Eichel will ever garner a contract in the same realm as McDavid. So far, he has proven to be a solid 25-goal scorer and while those numbers could improve quite a bit, he’s hardly accomplished anything that compares to McDavid. His numbers would suggest something in the range of $7MM to $10MM if he holds out to the last moment, but hopefully the young center will not hold out for McDavid money. Buffalo continues to negotiate, but it far more likely that an extension is still a year away.

What do you think he deserves?

Sabres To Wait On Sam Reinhart Extension

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While new GM Jason Botterill and the Sabres front office are reportedly working diligently on an extension for star center Jack Eichel in hopes of having a deal done this summer, they aren’t placing the same emphasis on a new contract for a fellow young forward. With one year remaining on his entry-level contract, it seems that the Sabres are content to let Sam Reinhart reach restricted free agency next off-season before working out a new deal.

Reinhart, the #2 overall pick in 2014, has not yet performed to the same level as Eichel, the #2 overall pick in 2015, or even the Winnipeg Jets’ Patrik Laine, the #2 overall pick in 2016. While Reinhart has certainly been an important part of the Buffalo offense the past two years, it seems that the jury is still out on his long-term value. Reinhart has played in 79 games in each of the past two seasons, racking up 42 and 47 points respectively. While that is a nice contribution, a near-number one pick is expected, at the very least, to register 20 goals and 20 assists in a season, which Reinhart has yet to do. While Reinhart’s two-way game is coming along nicely, he has also been abysmal at the face-off dot. Reinhart simply has a ways to go to reach his potential and is thus not a priority to re-sign with a year remaining.

None of this is to say that Reinhart is not a valued member of the current and future Sabres, only that he has not reached the level of some of his teammates. A new deal for RFA goalie Robin Lehner and an extension for Eichel, two players that simply play larger roles in Buffalo, are taking precedence. However, when next summer roles around, Reinhart will get his fair share of attention. Still just 21 years old, Reinhart is a power play weapon and an expert sniper. Botterill acknowledged that he’s “excited with Sam”, but added “I don’t think something from a contract standpoint will be happening this summer”. Reinhart has another year to show that he’s still growing as a player and is worth perhaps more than what he’s accomplished so far, and that opportunity may just work out in his favor.

Snapshots: Cull, Eichel, Emelin, Allvin

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The Vancouver Canucks have hired Trent Cull as the next head coach of the Utica Comets. The AHL team lost their bench boss when Travis Green was promoted to coach the NHL squad, and now will poach another minor league team’s assistant. Cull had been working as an assistant coach with the Syracuse Crunch, but also has experience at the OHL level.

The former minor-league fighter never did make it to the NHL during his playing career, but will take the next step towards coaching there one day with this latest assignment. It will be his first head coaching job in the AHL, and he’s tasked with returning the Comets to the playoffs after they missed last season.

  • Pierre LeBrun of TSN is reporting that Jack Eichel and the Buffalo Sabres have opened discussions over a possible extension. The news today that Connor McDavid may get eight years at $13.25MM per season must have perked up Eichel’s ears, as though he’ll certainly not get anywhere near that he should get a whopping extension of his own before long. The two sides are allowed to officially sign an extension after July 1st, when Eichel will have less than one year remaining on his current entry-level deal.
  • LeBrun also reports that the Montreal Canadiens have looked into a possible reunion with Alexei Emelin, selected last week in the expansion draft. Like many of the other veteran defenders, Emelin is expected to be flipped from the Vegas Golden Knights in the coming days, and Montreal could possibly re-acquire him. LeBrun adds that the Ottawa Senators have also shown interest in the big defenseman, perhaps as a replacement to their own expansion loss, Marc Methot.
  • Ansar Khan of MLive reports that the Detroit Red Wings were hoping to get Brendan Smith back in town under a respectable three-year, $10.5MM contract but that he may have other offers. Khan points to Smith’s current team the New York Rangers and a potential $4MM AAV. Smith ranked #12 on our free agent list, in which we predicted a four-year, $15MM ($3.75MM AAV) contract. Smith will certainly expect multiple offers from around the league on July 1st, as his versatility makes him an interesting option for many teams.
  • After losing Randy Sexton to the Buffalo Sabres, the Pittsburgh Penguins have promoted Patrik Allvin to Director of Amateur Scouting. Sexton was hired as an Assistant General Manager by Jason Botterill and the Sabres, meaning Allvin who has served as the Penguins head European scout for several years, will move up in the organization.

Offseason Keys: Buffalo Sabres

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While the expansion draft is set to headline a busy NHL offseason, there are still several other storylines for each team in the months ahead. Here is a closer look at what lies ahead for the Buffalo Sabres.

After another disappointing season, the Sabres cleaned house, letting both head coach Dan Bylsma and GM Tim Murray go.  Earlier this week, they filled the latter vacancy with the hiring of Jason Botterill away from the Penguins.  While hiring a coach will be a main focus (Botterill plans to have a new bench boss in place by the draft in June), here are a few other key decisions that are worth watching for out of Buffalo this offseason.

Time To Commit To Lehner?

Two years ago, the Sabres dealt a first round pick to the Senators to get what they hoped was their core goalie for the present and future in Robin Lehner.  The results have been a bit of a mixed bag.  Over the last two years, he has played in just 80 games, posting a 2.63 GAA and a .921 SV%.  Both of those are decent but not towards the top of the league either.

Dec 29, 2016; Buffalo, NY, USA; Buffalo Sabres goalie Robin Lehner (40) against the Boston Bruins at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY SportsLehner is coming off of his bridge deal and is only a couple of years away from unrestricted free agency.  The decision needs to be made as to whether or not he’s still the goalie of the future.

If Botterill believes that is the case, he’ll likely look to lock him up long-term on a deal that could double his current $2.25MM cap hit.  (His qualifying offer comes in at $3.15MM so any new deal, long-term or short, is likely to start at that amount at a minimum.)  If not, they could become part of what’s likely to be a very busy offseason in terms of goaltenders changing places.  However, most of the goalies that will be available in this shuffle are shorter-term fits and thus, only a temporary solution.

Rebuilding The Defense

Buffalo spent over $24.75MM on their blueline in 2016-17 between their regulars and injury recalls and didn’t get a whole lot of bang for their buck.  While Rasmus Ristolainen continues to be one of the more impressive young defenders in the league, other veterans such as Josh Gorges, Dmitry Kulikov, Cody Franson, and Zach Bogosian all underachieved.

Fortunately for Botterill and the Sabres, the team will have an opportunity to reshape their back end this summer.  Both Kulikov and Franson are unrestricted free agents and carried a combined cap hit of just over $7.65MM this season which is more than enough money to go after the big fish in free agency if they so desire.  If not, it’s still enough cap space to put towards a couple of veteran free agents (or trade additions) who should be a better fit for the team moving forward.  Either way, it seems likely that some changes will be coming on the blueline.

Extension For Eichel?

Just prior to the departures of Bylsma and Murray, reports surfaced that Jack Eichel wouldn’t be willing to sign a contract extension if Bylsma remained behind the bench.  Both Eichel and his agent denied the report but the firings were made just one day later.

Eichel, the second overall pick back in 2015, was Buffalo’s leading scorer this past season despite missing 21 games due to injuries.  He’s well positioned to be their franchise player for years to come and has five years of team control remaining.

While he’s signed through June of 2018, Botterill will likely kick off extension talks with Eichel and agent Peter Fish in the hopes of getting him signed as soon as they can (no deal can be struck until July 1st).  Not only would that get their star player locked up long-term, it would also provide them with some cost certainty and send a strong message to the rest of the team and fan base.  While there’s no real rush to get something done (since they have more than a year to sign another deal), it wouldn’t be surprising to see this wrapped up pretty quickly once the calendar turns to July.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Sabres Notes: Botterill, Head Coach Options

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With Jason Botterill officially leaving the Pittsburgh Penguins organization to assume the GM duties in Buffalo, the rookie manager faces the tall task of turning a Sabres team that has failed to qualify for the postseason since 2010-11 into a legitimate Stanley Cup threat. His job is a little easier given the presence of  franchise center Jack Eichel and a talented blue liner in Rasmus Ristolainen, who has the potential to be a top-pair defender for many years. However, the challenge that confronts Botterill is still daunting. Along those lines, Sportsnet’s Luke Fox identifies six high priority items he believes the new GM must tackle in his quest to build a winning organization.

First, and perhaps most obvious, the Sabres will have to hire a coach and given the reportedly tumultuous relationship former head coach Dan Bylsma had with many of his charges, getting the right guy behind the bench is critical to Buffalo’s future. Fox lists several names that have been floated in the media, with current Pittsburgh assistants Rich Tocchet and Jacques Martin standing out due to their prior working relationship with Botterill. Both men have prior head coaching experience and given the recent success each has enjoyed as members of the Penguins staff, either would be able to bring a winning mentality to Buffalo.

Additionally, Fox points out that Botterill will have to fix a defense corps that was a glaring weakness last season and is slated to see two regulars, Cody Franson and Dmitry Kulikov, depart as free agents. There will be options available this summer in free agency, Karl Alzner, Kevin Shattenkirk and Trevor Daley are among those specifically mentioned by the scribe, but likely won’t come cheap. Given the team’s salary cap situation – less than $23MM in projected space – and with Eichel and Sam Reinhart each needing new deals ahead of 2018-19, Botterill will have to be judicious with his cap dollars in the offseason.

All told, it’s an interesting take on Botterill’s situation with the Sabres, and well worth a full read.

In other Sabres news:

  • Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News also has a suggestion for Botterill’s head coaching search, identifying Washington assistant coach Todd Reirden as “the perfect fit,” for the Sabres. Kennedy references that prior to joining the Capitals, Reirden served on Dan Bylsma’s coaching staff in Pittsburgh where Botterill would have had a chance to get to know the former NHL defenseman. Additionally, the first-time GM is on record as saying he wants Buffalo to play an up-tempo brand of hockey that focuses on puck possession. As Kennedy points out, Reirden’s former employer, Washington, has been one of the league’s top teams in terms of possession in recent seasons. Reirden also guided one of the NHL’s top defense corps, with the Capitals allowing the fewest goals in the league in 2016-17. Botterill also said he is looking for a teacher and as Kennedy points out, Reirden has earned rave reviews in Washington with his help developing Nate Schmidt and Dmitry Orlov into quality defenseman. It’s also worth noting that with Buffalo believed to be in the market for blue liners, hiring Reirden might give them a leg up on the competition should they pursue pending Washington UFA defenders Karl Alzner and/or Kevin Shattenkirk.
  • Lastly, Bill Hoppe of Buffalo Hockey Beat writes that Botterill intends to prioritize icing a competitive team in Rochester, believing that success in the AHL is a great tool in developing young talent. Botterill was a key figure for three seasons with Rochester and played with future Sabres Ryan Miller, Thomas Vanek, Derek Roy and Paul Gaustad with the Amerks. Those players would help guide the Sabres to back-to-back appearances in the Conference Final after the 2006-07 and 2007-08 campaigns. That was the last time Buffalo won even a playoff round, and they’ve made the postseason just twice in the 10 years since. Botterill also saw a strong feeder team payoff while in Pittsburgh, with young players like Conor Sheary, Bryan Rust and Jake Guentzel, just to name a few, coming up from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and making an immediate impact with the big club. Sheary and Rust won a Stanley Cup last season with Pittsburgh and the Penguins have a chance to repeat that feat as they begin their Eastern Conference final match against Ottawa later today.

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