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Eichel: "If I Sign, It's To Play In NHL The Whole Year" |
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Jack Eichel has said that he will either be playing in Buffalo for all 82 games next season. Or, he will be playing his sophomore season at Boston University.
Eichel has leverage and he is using it.
Eichel is expected to be selected second overall by the Buffalo Sabres at Friday night's NHL Draft, told the Boston Globe he has no plans to sign a pro contract unless he's promised an NHL spot for the full season. Not a nine game look see or a test drive.
“If I’m signing, it’s not to leave school and go play major junior,” Eichel said Wednesday.
“If I sign, it’s to play in the NHL the whole year. That’s the only way I’ll sign. And Buffalo has already explained to me that that would be the case.”
Eichel scored 26 goals and added 45 assists for 71 points in 40 game freshman seasons at Boston University. His Terriers lost the NCAA National Championship to Providence College.
Next move is yours, Tim Murray.
Tell the building operations guys at First Niagara Center to roll out the red carpet in anticipation of Eichel's arrival on July 6 for Sabres Prospects Camp.
Jack Eichel knows in his head, and in his heart, what his final decision is going to be.
To play in the NHL for the Buffalo Sabres next season, or, to return to the Boston University Terriers for his sophomore season?
Eichel isn’t ready to share his private decision with the world just yet.
Eichel, in Miami today with other NHL Draft prospects for a promotion, spoke to the media after taking his turn at batting practice prior to the Miami Marlins' game against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Jack is two days away from walking away the NHL Draft stage. Earlier this month, Eichel told media at the NHL Combine in Buffalo to pump their brakes. He wasn’t then and still isn’t ready to tell us where he is going to play next season.
"I mean, I'm kind of set on what I want to do, but I guess you'll find out in the few days that follow the draft," Eichel said. "I have an idea what I want to do. I sat down and had dinner with [Boston University coach] David Quinn and spoke with my parents, so I have a good idea of where I want to be next year."
Quinn has said in many interviews that he feels that Eichel is ready for the next level and that he thinks that the kid should pursue his dream to play in the NHL immediately.
I agree wholeheartedly. Eichel proved by his noteworthy and impressive overall play for team USA at the IIHF World Championships in Prague last month that he is ready to lineup and play against the best players in the world in Alex Ovechkin, Geno Malkin, Ilya Kovalchuk, and others.
Perhaps the St. Louis Cardinals front office guys can do Buffalo Sabres fans a favor and write a computer program to hack into Eichel’s iPhone and abscond with his final decision before Friday.
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Eichel was joined by Connor McDavid, Dylan Strome, Mitchell Marner, Lawson Crouse and Boston and Noah Hanifin. McDavid is the #1 prospect on NHL Central Scouting's and ISS’s final draft rankings of the top North American skaters eligible for the draft. Eichel is #2, however, in his mind, he thinks that he is the best player in the NHL draft right now. Gotta love Eichel’s self confidence and swaggah.
Eichel and McDavid threw out the ceremonial first pitches for the Marlins-v-Cardinals game.
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So, I had just cleaned up after cutting the lawn. I say down to watch the NHL Awards.
Man, Rob Riggle really sucks at comedy. Seriously. Dude can't read the TelePrompter that was 3 feet from his head.
Anyway, I scrolled through my Twitter time line to see a tweet from my friend @ericreich wanting to know if I had seen Jack Eichel's jorts?
I had not seen Jack's Jorts, so Eric tweeted me the evidence.
Holy F! Now every male between the ages of 6-11 in Buffalo will be rocking perms and jorts-- in public--- for the next 20 years.
This Eichel kid is a stone cold beauty!
I'm going to cut off a pair of Calvin Klein blue jeans to thigh high length right now! Summer just jot jortsier!
Keep up the great hockey and fashion work, Jack!
While your peers slink about the hockey globe with their Capri pants and espedrelles on, you get in your way back machine and bring the jorts back to the future!
*Slow Claps*
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