Jack Eichel knows the Sabres must change. ©2018, Micheline Veluvolu

Jack Eichel illustrates maturity discussing Sabres’ awful season

BUFFALO – A year ago, frustration overwhelmed Jack Eichel as he talked about the Sabres’ awful season. The center looked restless, staring off into the distance while offering mostly terse answers.

Basically, Eichel came off as immature.

This morning, however, Eichel, 21, acted like a leader discussing the Sabres’ 31st-place finish, a season much worse than a year ago. He answered every question thoughtfully, even passionately. He looked every questioner in the eye.

“I’ve figured out a better way to communicate with you guys, for sure,” Eichel said as the Sabres held exit interviews inside KeyBank Center. “We talk every day. We might as well make our relationship a good one. I think last year I was frustrated, bitter, a bit upset. Not at you guys at all. But at the way things went.

“I think I probably just didn’t handle things the right way. You look back, that’s a year ago. I think I’ve learned some things. I’ve matured a bit as a person.”

Of course, Eichel, the Sabres’ leading scorer, acknowledged he’s frustrated.

“But it’s not a time to sit here and pout and give you guys one-word answers,” he said. “I think … we have to communicate a message to our fans, our organization, our city that as bad as things were, we’re going to change it, we’re going to change things around here.

“It starts with the guys in the room. It starts with me. It starts with (center Ryan O’Reilly), it starts with (defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen), it starts with the guys that are our leaders.”

Eichel, whose eight-year, $80 million contract kicks in next season, is the face of the franchise and its best player. The Sabres will only start going places and end their seven-year playoff drought if he performs like a superstar.

Even after recording 25 goals and 64 points in 67 games and earning his first NHL All-Star appearance, the youngster knows he must change along with everyone else.

“There needs to be change,” he said. “Everybody needs to look at themselves and figure out what they’re doing. Change it myself. Obviously, whatever I’ve been doing hasn’t been working. What we’ve been doing as a team hasn’t been working.”

That’s why major changes are expected following a wretched 25-45-12 season, the first under coach Phil Housley and general manager Jason Botterill.

While few expected the Sabres to be a playoff team, they regressed mightily, earning only 62 points, 16 fewer than last season.

Housley has one big question for his players moving forward.

“What are they willing to change?” he said. “I think that’s the biggest question as we move forward, what are they going to personally invest in this summer to change? … What are we willing to change to change this atmosphere?”

That starts with being ready in September. Housley’s first camp featured lots of teaching. In five months, he plans to be a lot tougher on the Sabres.

“I’ve got to lead, right?” he said. “When … you’re implementing these systems and the philosophy and the structure, that takes time. We don’t have to go through that. We know how we want to play as a team.

“We have to be ready to go. I think our start is going to be crucial for our season next year, and that starts in training camp. We can talk about the results that we had this year, but our playoffs start on the first day of training camp.”

The Sabres endured a brutal start this season, losing their first five games. They never recovered.

Ultimately, Housley believes a strong start next season can help lift the black cloud that has been hanging over the Sabres for years and change the culture.

“That’s going to be really important … because then you can get some confidence moving forward, because when you’ve been in this environment and you start to lose, there’s a tremendous amount of pressure on you as an individual,” he said. “So that goes back (to) what are you willing to change, how you going to get better this summer to make a difference?”

In other news, Sabres goalie Robin Lehner having a second opinion done on his lower-body injury and unavailable to talk today.

2 thoughts on “Jack Eichel illustrates maturity discussing Sabres’ awful season”

  1. Ok Jack, now actually lead on the ice. Hold players accountable. Get in their faces. Demand better, make you’re voice heard. Be that leader. I’m glad you matured now take it one step further, LEAD!

  2. Jack, your leadership goals are: in the lockeroom: keep teammates focused on the game plan and call them out when you sense their intensity waning! Outside the lockeroom: get involved in the local community and let the fans know you’re only going to accept “WINNING “, Losing is not an option !
    In other words, continually manifest your commitment to the team and city !

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