Jack Eichel heads into All-Star break on 1st dominant stretch of NHL career
Jack Eichel is on absolute fire for the first time in his NHL career.
The 19-year-old rookie phenom is second on the Buffalo Sabres with 16 goals and 18 assists in 50 games, putting him on pace for 55 points heading into this weekend's All-Star break. However, all signs point to those numbers rising rapidly.
Since recording just 14 points in his first 32 games, Eichel's been the most productive player on the Sabres. He has seven goals and 13 assists for 20 points - highlighted by six multi-point efforts - in the 18 games since Dec. 17.
I'm pretty sure Eichel is going to score 90 points next year
— Matthew Coller (@MatthewWGR) January 27, 2016
Considering his age, lack of experience, and the Sabres' goal-scoring struggles, it's likely the numbers from Eichel's current stretch are unsustainable over the course of a full season. To put them into context, though, Jamie Benn won the Art Ross Trophy with 87 points in 2014-15. If Eichel maintains the 18-game pace over an entire regular season, he'd finish with 91 points.
Eichel has a point on half of the Sabres' 40 goals since Dec. 17. In fact, he has more points over the past six weeks than teammate Evander Kane has during this campaign. Since the run began, Eichel has six more points than Sabres' leading scorer and All-Star Ryan O'Reilly, and just three points fewer than the NHL's leading scorer Patrick Kane.
There were certainly glimpses of Eichel's brilliance in the first 32 games of the year, but for the first time since turning pro, he's demonstrating his high hockey IQ and elite-level ability on a nightly basis. Tuesday's performance against the Ottawa Senators served as a prime example:
They won't let Eichel go short side. He's got other plans. #BUFvsOTT
https://t.co/TqT9OWsLnS
— NHL (@NHL) January 27, 2016
Eichel is evidently learning and adjusting to the league. Now that he has some experience under his belt, he's picking his spots, finding space, and allowing the game to come to him. There's no doubt he's graced with a wicked release, as well as vision and creativity that few possess. He can't produce if he doesn't find the puck in opportunistic situations, though. As his confidence continues to grow, the points are mounting, and chances are they'll continue to do so over the remainder of the season and beyond.