Congratulations are in order for Jack Eichel. The super center scored his 21st goal of the season, a power play goal on former Sabres great Ryan Miller. He picked up an assist on Ryan O’Reilly’s game tying goal in the dying moments of regulation.The goal was Eichel's 50th point of the season. Eichel now has scored 51 points in 53 games played this season.
The NHL All Star now takes his place with fellow Buffalo Sabres greats Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin, Phil Housley and Christian Ruuttu as the only Sabres to record at least 50 points in each of their first three NHL seasons.
Eichel has recorded 19 points (11G,8A) in his last 17 home games, dating back to November 20 vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Eichel's 14 goals in 28 games since the beginning of December rank him in the top 10 among all NHL players during that span.
With his goal against Anaheim, Eichel is the 47th player in Sabres history to reach the 69 goal platform. His next goal will tie Brian Holzinger & Rick Dudley for 45th all time.
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It's hockey night in Buffalo. Ryan Miller and his Anaheim Ducks are in town fresh off the 7-4 beat down suffered in Toronto on Monday night. The 37 year old Miller will get the net again tonight after allowing six goals against to the Leafs on Monday night. This is only the second time Miller has gotten the net in his old house since being traded to St. Louis prior to the 2014 NHL trade deadline.
On the ice, this game should be fast and physical. The Sabres have had a tough time starting on time in recent games. Phil Housley is preaching a fast start to jump on the tired Ducks. Randy Carlye will have his team in a foul mood at puck drop having been embarrassed in Toronto.
Off the ice, there wil be a bushel full NHL dignitaries in the house to scout this game.
Among them are the Vegas Golden Knights, New Jersey Devils, Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Arizona Coyotes, Boston Bruins, Ciolorado Avalanche and Chicago Blackhawks.
Here's how I see it
Carolina Hurricanes:
Canes head coach Bill Peters has lost faith in his current roster of players. He's sick of the excuses. On Sunday, Peters watched his Canes get punked by the San Jose Sharls in their own building. Afterwards, Peters called out his players for their soft, uninspired efforts. Plural on "efforts". The Canes have been lolly-gagging their way through this season and are at risk of missing the playoffs. They need more character in their room.
Peters is a demanding coach and when his players cross him, he barks at them. The Canes are a talnted team but they are nowhere near being a Stanley Cup contender. Peters is demanding changes be made to the roster at once. He feels his team is too easy to play against because the players all get along and like one another.
“That wasn’t a lot of fun, actually,” Peters said. “Obviously this group has been together, this lineup’s been together for a little while now. Maybe there’s some complacency there. We can’t put that group out again after that. It’s unacceptable. They let each other down, too, in the room. That’s not right.”
But wait. There's more from Peters:
“Is it a character issue? I don’t know if it’s a character issue or what it is. Whether we’re in the eighth spot or the ninth spot or the first, that effort today is unacceptable, period. The effort, the intensity that we played at was similar to probably something you’d see in a neutral site in September.”
Ouch.
Peters more or less accused his players, leaders and all, of having a public skate mentality during games that they need desperately to win points in.
“It’ll be different Tuesday,” Peters said.
Cue Canes GM Ron Francis. I spied Francis in Buffalo during the IIHF World Junior Championships. Yes, he was here to waych his top prospects Jake Bean (Canada) and Martin Necas (Czech). To a fault, Francis has been patient with his players and their inconsistencies. Peters sounded the hunting horn on Sunday when he blasted his team. He's seen enough. I'm certain that the new ownership of the Canes is watching this situation very closely. Francis and Canes team president Don Waddell are now tasked with having to find solutions other than elevating kids from AHL Charlotte. Peters isn't sugar-coating it. He wants problematic players to be traded for guys who give a damm enough to play his system, his way.
The Canes have a pro scout in Buffalo tonight. The Canes have been in Buffalo on a regular basis this season. This swung and missed on Matt Duchene. They have been keeping tabs on Evander Kane. Waddell was general manager of the Atlanta Thrashers from the team's founding in 1998, until 2010 when he took the role of team president. Waddell and Rick Dudley draft Kane, the brash, sniping power forward from the Vancouver Canucks. Waddell knows Kane and vice versa.
There is a deal to be made.
If Peters wants a "disruptor" in the room and on the bench, look no further than Evander Kane. When I say "disruptor", I mean it in a good way. Kane is a force. He is not a status quo guy. He doesn't want to blend in and get by. Kane wants the puck and he wants it now. He wants to win. He also wants to play in the playoffs, something he hasn't achieved in his 10-year NHL career. Bill Peters hates the status quo of his roster. Too many nice guys doing nice things. Who is paying the price? He's been demanding more passion, jam, tenacity, and truculence from his current players. He's sick of waiting. Kane would infuse the aforementioned qualities and then some.
Canes rookie owner Tom Dundon is in the process of making his team more fan-friendly. Dundon is young, aggressive and looking to kick th elosing culture to th ecurb. He's committed to making Hurricanes games a destination again. His team won a Stanley Cup in 2006. He wants to create a love affair between the fans and the team. He needs a star or two to market and sell to th efan base. Dundon is demanding more fannies in the seats and he wants them now. Hell, he's upgrading ticket holders out of the third level to the lower bowl because the sea of red empty seats at Canes home games looks embarrassing in HDTV.
Dundon wants to restore th epasr glory to the Canes. He's selling Hartford Whalers retro gear at the team merchandise stands.
What better way to see more seats and more Canes swag than to make a trade for an A-List star player like Evander Kane?
If it means trading All Star defenseman Noah Hanifin, a roster player and a 2018 first rounder then so be it. Haters hate the compensation package prerequisites for acquiring Kane. If you don’t like the compensation, too bad. You don’t set the market. NHL GMs and player agents do. If a 34 year old Rick Nash with $7.8M AAV is being shipped for three premium pieces, a 26 year old Evander Kane is very nicely priced at three premium pieces.
Sabres GM Jason Botterill is willing to absorb a portion (up to 50%) of the remaining dollars in Kane’s $5.25M AAV. For that, Botterill is deserving of the roster player or a top prospect. If trading Hanifin at the deadline is too rich for Carolina’s blood, then Botterill would be wise to ask for either Jake Bean and Haydn Fleury, along with a first rounder and a roster player in a trade scenario.
Trust me when I tell you. Hanifin is available. Francis can replace Hanifin with prospects Haydyn Fleury and/or Jake Bean.
Jason Botterill knows of the tihght relationship that exists between his franchise player Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin. They are very, very close friends and would like to play together in the NHL.
Botterill would be trading one of Eichel's closest friends in Evander Kane and replacing him with an even closer friend in Noah Hanifin. That my friends is good business.
Vegas:
The Knights are playing the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight. It's the long anticipated retirn of favorite son Marc Andre Fleury to the place where he helped the Pens win three Stanley Cups since 2009. The Knights are 20-4-3 in their past 27 games and are going all-in on adding more scoring and defense to their already formidable roster.
Knights GM George McPhee has dispatcted his special advisor to Hockey Ops David Conte to Buffalo for this game. Conte no doubt will be watching his Pacific rivals the Ducks. However, he will also be looking at the Sabres, who have several players available that can add immediate value to a contending team's present roster. Evander Kane could end up in Vegas if the price is right. McPhee has the three to four premium pieces that Jason Botterill is asking for in exchange for Kane: 2018 first round pick, top prospect, current roster player.
Energy winger/center Zemgus Girgensons could add immediate grit and sandpaper to the Knights roster. Girgensons can play on all four lines,and kills penalties. Ditto UFA to be Benny Pouliot and Johan Larsson, too.
New Jersey Devils:
The Devils could use more goal scoring. They also need more depth and strength in their bottom six forward group. Evander Kane would certainly add even strength scoring and power play production. The Sabres have Zemgus Girgensons, Benny Pouliot and Johan Larsson.
Edmonton Oilers:
The Oilers are in sell-off-assets mode.
I think Craig MacTavish is here tonight to scout the Ducks. The Oilers have power forward Patrick Maroon available, who cut his NHL teeth in the Anaheim Ducks organization. Maroon played parts of five seasons with the Ducks before jumping the Oilers.
Montreal Canadiens:
The habs have been sending their director of pro scoutung to Buffalo for the past three games. The St. Louis Blues were here Saturday and the Ducks are in here tonight. The Blues and Ducks have been eyeing Montreal captain Max Pacioretty as a trade deadline target.
Arizona Coyotes:
Max Domi trade rumours are in the air. The Sabres and Ducks are plausible landing spots for the fesity left winger. Domi played on a successful line on Team Canada two years ago at the WJCs with Sabres forward Samson Reinhart. Is there a reunion in the offing? Maybe the Desert Dogs are scouting Reinhart. The Dogs don't need another center as they have Derek Stepan, Clayton Keller, Christain Dvorak, Nick Cousins and Freddie Hamilton right now. Reinhart would have to be a right winger in Arizona, a position where they lack depth.
Colorado Avalanche:
The Avs will be in Buffalo Sunday night sans their MVP candidate Nathan MacKinnon. Might Joe Sakic be kicking tires on Buffalo forwards Kane, Pouliot, Reinhart, Larsson?
Chicago Blackhawks:
Robin Lehner has stopped 120 of the last 123 shots he has faced in his last four starts. With Cory Crawford injured and goaltending a major issue right now, Stan Bowman may reach out to Buffalo for Lehner, who will be RFA in July.
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