Jack Eichel dominated his only year playing college hockey. As a freshman at
Boston University, he put up 71 points in 40 games. It was the best season by
an NCAA freshman in more than 20 years. He led his Terriers to the national
championship game, earned the Hobey Baker Memorial Award (as the NCAA';s top
hockey player) and had an impressive showing at the World Championship helping
Team USA win a bronze medal.Eichel was unstoppable with the Boston University
Terriers. (Townson-USA TODAY Sports)

But how good can Eichel be? It's possible that this is the season we will see
that same collegiate dominance in the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres.Related: The
Sabres Seismic Culture ShiftJack Eichel's First Three Years

Eichel has been an exceptionally bright spot in an otherwise frustrating run
for the Sabres. Three years into his NHL career, he has 73 goals and 104
assists for 177 points in 209 games, leading the team in cumulative production
over that span. He has an above average shot, impeccable stickwork and elite
vision. He's the only player on the Sabres that regularly drives possession and
 offense.He Can't Do It Alone

Eichel has performed admirably in his first few seasons given his marginally
talented teammates and linemates. It';s a fantasy that he alone could carry the
 team to the promised land. The NHL is a team game - even the most
minute-hogging stars only play 40 percent of a game. The Sabres had little
depth because their mission to tank scorched the team to the ground and then
there was (former) general manager Tim Murray overpaying and misspending draft
capital like a child playing Fortnite with their parent's credit card.

Despite being near or leading the team in scoring and although Eichel's point
totals have increased slightly year over year, he's yet to piece together a
complete elite-level season. Injuries sidelined him for 21 games in his
sophomore season and 15 games last season.Eichel is primed for a big year.
(Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports)

Eichel is not content to achieve personal success without team success. Losing
has been as frustrating for him as it's been for the fans and it showed in his
early interviews. He has yet to play in a meaningful game in late January, with
 the Sabres' fate sealed early. In his rookie season, 2015-16, the team
finished in 23rd place. In 2016-17, the Sabres finished in 26th place and in
2017-18, they finished 31st.

"I've had a few years to learn about things and see some things that occur, and
 the right way to do things and the wrong way to do things," said Eichel. "I do
 wear my heart on my sleeve, and I'm somebody who's very competitive. I like to
 win. This losing the last few years, I've never dealt with that in my life.
And you kind of have to learn from it and figure out what you can do to change
it."

He knows he needs to stay positive: "Every day, if you come in here and work
and put your head down, you do the right things, you're a good teammate, I
think the results in the games will take care of themselves," said Eichel.

"He has that aura around him that he';s one of the top players in the league,"
head coach Phil Housley said of Eichel. "I just want him to play. Play the game
 and don';t worry about any distraction."Setting an Example

Eichel definitely sets the tone for the team. When he's fired up, the team
follows his lead. Even fans begin to believe almost anything is possible. When
he floats or drifts back to the bench after a shift, his teammates have been
prone to let up as well. At times, his slow return for a line change was due to
 his lack of conditioning after returning too early from an injury. He was
gassed. It was as much his failure as it was management's, for senselessly
allowing him to play before he completely healed. Returning to the ice "because
 I'm a hockey player" is a short-sighted answer.

At times, the 2015 second overall draft pick has been dominant. He hit his
stride during a 26-game stretch from Feb. 4 through Mar. 27, 2017, scoring 11
goals and totaling 34 points. He's smart and slippery, playing a 200-foot game,
 helping in the defensive zone, battling hard and often carrying the puck out
of his zone.

He was the third-fastest player in Sabres history to score 100 points (behind
Pierre Turgeon and Phil Housley). Given the fact that Turgeon and Housley
played in the offense-laden ';80s, Eichel's accomplishment is even more
impressive and the Sabres made the playoffs in each of the duo';s first three
seasons, implying a more talented roster.

On the flip side, there have also been times when it appears Eichel is not
giving his all, failing to win puck battles and not backchecking tenaciously.
The Chelmsford, Mass. native took his fair share of the heat when Murray and
head coach Dan Bylsma were relieved of their duties. He was called a GM and
coach killer.

When he pouted like an entitled teenager to the media after missing out on a $2
 million bonus, he was labeled a brooding superstar. It was a harsh critique
for a teenager who had just found out he'd missed out on a massive incentive by
 a whisper. There have been times when he looked disinterested on the ice and
there were reports that he and former teammate Ryan O'Reilly were at odds. All
of which is unbecoming of a franchise';s cornerstone player.Eichel's Desire to
Be the Best

It appears as though Eichel has turned a corner. At locker cleanout day after
last season, he sounded more mature than in years past. "It feels like
yesterday I started here and to be three years into my career and yet to make
the impact that I'd like is frustrating for sure," he said stoically.



This season, there's a lot of pressure on him. Though he's only played three
seasons with the Sabres, the team is battling a seven-year playoff drought, the
 longest in franchise history.

This year, the first of his eight-year, $80 million contract, is when we'll
find out where Eichel fits among today's NHL top young talents. We'll find out
if he can he help bring prosperity to the starving hockey masses in western New
 York.

Botterill has made dozens of changes in his short time on the job. This
offseason, he's brought in swift, productive wingers Jeff Skinner and Conor
Sheary. He's added depth and mobility to the offense and defense. He landed
Rasmus Dahlin with a little lady luck at the 2018 NHL Draft. There's more
talent on the team now than at any point in the past three seasons. Each of
these changes should not only make the team better but make Eichel better.This
 Will Be Eichel's Year

Eichel had a chance to collect two, three or even four points in most games
last year. His teammates either weren't ready for passes or failed to
capitalize on their chances. His linemates often couldn't keep up with the
speed at which he processed the game. Now, with goal scoring wingers like
Skinner or Sheary and Reinhart or Okposo, Eichel will elevate his performance
and make those on the ice with him better as well.

He's also thrilled to have a franchise defenseman in blue and gold: "[Dahlin]
is a special player, a really good guy and somebody that is going to be part of
 our team for a while."Dahlin';s skill and skating will add a whole new
dimension to the Sabres. (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

None of these changes by themselves will get the Sabres into the postseason. It
 will take a lot of hard work, a complete buy-in from every player, and a touch
 of chemistry.

The de-facto captain even made a special trip out to Minnesota this summer to
bond with highly touted rookie Casey Mittelstadt, C.J. Smith and Casey Nelson.
They played golf and relaxed, all in an effort to get to know one another
better. Eichel has been in Buffalo recently, skating with teammates informally
at HarborCenter. "It's been a good offseason. I feel pretty healthy and ready
for a good season," said Eichel.Mittelstadt will likely be centering the
Sabres'; second line. (Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports)

With Botterill overhauling a roster that now includes two-time Stanley Cup
winner Sheary, Eichel is excited about the season. "It's good to be back here.
I'm pretty excited to be playing again," said the Sabres All-Star. "You bring
some fresh faces in, some guys that don't have the sour taste of the last few
years and it seems like the environment is different."

In 2018-19, with proven wingers and a vastly improved defensive corps, the
Sabres will begin their rise from the basement and never look back. We'll find
out if Eichel is capable of being an elite point producer. The playmaking
center's ceiling hasn't been reached. If he can stay healthy, surge over 90
points and propel the team into the postseason, he will challenge for the Hart
 Trophy as the league's most valuable player in 2018-19.Related - 2019 Hart
Trophy Odds: Place Your Bets

The post It's Eichel's Time to Shine appeared first on The Hockey Writers.

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