Jack Eichel returned to Buffalo last night for the first time since he was traded to Vegas. It didn't go well, like everything in Eichel's career has done. Losing is something the Knights have been doing since the arrival of Eichel. Since he stepped on the ice, their record is 4-7-1. Vegas has had its share of injuries, but Mark Stone hasn't played. They didn't trade for Eichel because they didn't want to lose another good player in the future due to the cap difficulties his presence causes. One can see the symbolism in the fact that the two players are scrapping it out for the last playoff spot. Remember the excitement of the 2015 draft? Bird and Magic were on ice. The teams turned into the Clippers.
After Eichel demanded his way out of town after last season, the fans of the Sabres were not very welcoming to him. He was booed when he touched the puck. There was something at stake and the atmosphere was lively for the first time.
There are some jokes that Eichel has.
Let's review the career of Eichel in Buffalo. The closest they came to the playoffs was 12 points. The last time fans were allowed to see him, he played 21 games. There were a few games that mattered in the six seasons there.
When he was in Western New York, he didn't get to play in front of a lot of people. When the team has been farming for over a decade, the fans don't provide much support for 41 games.
Is that the fault of the man? Not really. He averaged nearly a point per game over the course of his career. The Knights were willing to do something about his health being mishandled by the Sabres. Fuck with an athlete who has a physical well-being. When you're the hero, you can blame everyone.
When he was picked second overall in 2015, the hope for the fans was still there. Buffalo missed the playoffs for the fourth straight year at that point and have added seven more since. Their last playoff series win was 15 years ago. Whether he likes it or not, he will wear the team's inability to improve during his time there.
That is the deal when you are the franchise cornerstone. It is pinned on you. Fans will turn on you because they don't get to ask out. They are stuck in Buffalo, staring at their Miroslav Satan posters and wondering if things will ever change. They are going to be angry that someone else got out for a second time.
One would hope that the Knights can continue to be a mediocre team because of the last laugh that Eichel will have. The Sabres continue to have mud in their tires, while Eichel will get to play in all the big games he didn't get to in Buffalo. We don't know if he is a human curse or not.
Maybe a little more understanding from Eichel is needed. He knows what the fans of the Sabres have gone through. He was supposed to lead them out of it. He didn't, his own responsibility or not. Buffalo is worse now than it was when it started. The fans of the Sabres have to do it again. Eichel doesn't. Jack, shut up and take your medicine.
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