What current Sabres do you actually like?

[mjd1001]

I would not put Eichel on my like list either.

No dislike, but not on my like list. 

Why?

-He hasn't lived up to expectations. To me he always seemed to be billed as a 1a to McDavid. Not quite as good, but generational regardless.  Top 5 guy in the NHL when he hits his peak.  Year after year being discussed as a candidate for MVP.  Has at least a couple of years where he would challenge for the scoring lead.  He hasn't turned into that.

-the teams overall performance.  Is it all his fault, of course not, but when you are being billed at the best player on a team, as the team captain, and entering the peak of your career your team is literally being laughed at by the rest of the hockey world...it doesn't sit well.

-Hes just not as exciting to watch as I wanted.  When we heard about his speed (and YES, he is fast), I was looking forward to exactly my favorite type of player.  Peter Bondra when I was a little kid, Pavel Bure, McDavid now.  A guy who just gets you out of your seat when he flys up and down the ice.  I have said it before, but Jack plays like the slowest fast guy I have ever seen.  His end-to-end rushes are very few and far between, and sometimes he comes through the center ice zone with SOME speed, but almost every time he chooses to slow down once entering the zone and starts playing sideways. Maybe that is his style of play and what he is best at, but I was expecting north to south speed, and what I see (MOST of the time) is somone who looks like they are skating through mud as soon as the enter the Offensive zone.

Does any of that make him bad? No, hes just a lot less fun to watch than what I was hoping for after reading his pre-draft hype years ago.

 

[Zamboni]

All but Staal. My God he has a very punchable face. Never liked him. Still don’t.

[calti]

6 hours ago, Randall Flagg said:

I like Jack Eichel. A lot of things get projected onto him, helped along by his natural upright skating stance and how he can get down on himself and express that when he shoots the puck high and wide. But nothing I've ever read indicates he doesn't love the city, love us, and want nothing more than to win hockey games for us, even if he was ultimately the wrong guy to put the C on. Plus, we've heard lots of small stories along the way - the guy on the beach whose son recognized Jack, and Jack, who loves kids, spending a long time just talking to them, making the kid's day. Every story I've ever heard about the guy like this, away from the rink, was relentlessly positive - I think he's a good, smart guy with a good soul, and I'm grateful for the time and effort and enjoyment he's given me. 

I like Reinhart, though I don't think I'd be friends with him, if that makes sense. I've heard a couple things (friend's GF's friend has hung out with him before) that suggest he's, while not a bad person, just not someone I'd be interested in being around. On the ice though, I like him quite a bit and would keep him around. 

I like Risto, McCabe, Girgensons for the way they have battled for so long. Okposo is in this category as well, and he really seems to be a great guy, but I like him less ON the ice than the other 3. It was great when we had a line going that he really fit on. That was obliterated so we could sign Cody Eakin and 3 other 4th liners.

Similarly, I appreciate the effort that newer guys like Lazar and Rieder and Sheahan bring. 

i like Ullmark's relentlessly positive attitude.

Oh, and I like Jeff Skinner. I think he's severely flawed, though I do think that there are coaches out there under which it wouldn't have gotten THIS bad. But whether or not you agree with me on that, I am impressed that he has always held his tongue even if he has wanted to say something that would cause fireworks to the press (not sure if he has wanted to, but there are MANY players that would have caused issues in the same circumstances), he just keeps trying to fix it/get better. I know it hurts him to be struggling so badly. He still skates and tries hard, and he's a really funny/interesting/quirky guy if you watch videos of him off the ice, I get the impression he's a guy who is simple, happy, nice, and loves his family. 

I don't hate anyone on this team, though I can't wait until Staal is gone. But these are the guys I actively like. 

That paycheck that Skinner gets does a lot to have him hold his tongue

[Kruppstahl]

10 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

All but Staal. My God he has a very punchable face. Never liked him. Still don’t.

You know, I have had a very similar reaction to him especially since he became a Sabre.

He's doing the Ron Duguay look, 35 years later, only he can't pull it off.

The addition of a helmet to that hair just looks idiotic.

 

 

[Weave]

2 hours ago, dudacek said:

I think a lot of it comes from the sense of a player giving you what he has. At least that is what this thread seems to be showing.

I certainly don't dislike Jack. He's joy to watch when he's on, I think he cares and I have some sympathy for his situation (projected saviour on a Pegula hellscape).

But last year was the only season out of six that I felt I was watching the top 10 player his skillset says he should be.

It goes deeper than that for me.  At the end of a season where he barely missed out on a bonus he lamented giving up too soon.  W.T.A.F. The reported lack of respect for Gionta and Georges.  The slow line changes.  If there is one thing most fans have low tolerance for it is taking the gifts you've got, and the opportunity presented to you for granted.  And Jack has definitely done his share of things to make it appear that he's taking what he's got for granted to some degree.

By contrast, everyone respects Matt freaking Ellis.

[I-90 W]

I’m not really sure that I like any of them currently tbh. I liked the logo before any of them, and will continue to like it after all of them. 

[Thorny]

11 hours ago, Weave said:

It goes deeper than that for me.  At the end of a season where he barely missed out on a bonus he lamented giving up too soon.  W.T.A.F. The reported lack of respect for Gionta and Georges.  The slow line changes.  If there is one thing most fans have low tolerance for it is taking the gifts you've got, and the opportunity presented to you for granted.  And Jack has definitely done his share of things to make it appear that he's taking what he's got for granted to some degree.

By contrast, everyone respects Matt freaking Ellis.

I remember people thinking he did, did Jack ever actually say this?

[Weave]

58 minutes ago, Thorny said:

I remember people thinking he did, did Jack ever actually say this?

My recollection was that he said it in a locker room clean out interview.

[Thorny]

5 minutes ago, Weave said:

My recollection was that he said it in a locker room clean out interview.

I'll see if I can find it

There are lots of articles https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/jack-eichel-2m-bonus-1.4065113

..but the quote is usually - 

And he had a blunt response when reminded he came close to being a point-a-game player.

"I wasn't though," Eichel said.

and 

Eichel believes he can be much better.

"I think that I haven't scratched the surface of where I can be," he said. "But I played pretty good at times."

He's pretty hard on himself but I don't recall him ever mentioned he had given up or taken it easy or mailed it in. Like I said I could be wrong, I'll look for the interview specifically

Edited March 19, 2021 by Thorny