A star at a crossroads
Jack Eichel isn’t requesting a trade, which may reflect his good faith in the team’s ownership after they responded to his expressed unhappiness this offseason by adding talent through free agency and the draft. He did give Sabres fans some concern with his dissatisfaction after last season. The hope is this is a retooling year to turn the franchise into a perennial playoff club, but in order for it not to be a losing season, more action will need to be taken to ensure Jack’s happiness.
With Taylor Hall seemingly willing to consider joining him on a longer-term deal after this year, the franchise cornerstone Eichel may not feel the same sense of despair he once did, as the team is in a transitionary year with more talent coming by way of their development pipeline. Even with the promise the future may hold, the team should be seeing better results after the offseason additions, and making any needed adjustments and changes to achieve that will only help to reassure Eichel of the team’s direction and his place with the Sabres long-term.
A season in the balance
A significant number of Sabres games this season have been close, with many going into overtime. Buffalo seems to come up on the short end of the stick more often than not. Eventually, that can wear mentally on players and fans alike. This is a pivotal moment in the season, and Kevyn Adams recognizes that based on his recent comments.
A strong run the rest of the way could change the team’s fortunes both this season and beyond, appealing to players to re-sign and join the club in free agency. The franchise could look to shake things up and right the ship for the remainder of the season.