The 2015 NHL Draft is drawing closer every day, and with an abundance of picks in their war chest, the Buffalo Sabres are in a position to be one of the prime players on draft day.
ESPN’s Corey Pronman has ranked the top 100 draft prospects for the dot com (Insider required) and has a lot of great things to say about a lot of good young players, many of whom will be Buffalo Sabres at the end of the process. But the crown jewel in the Sabres draft arsenal is the #2 overall pick, which will almost certainly be Jack Eichel.
Much has been said about the Boston University superstar (are you sick of reading about him yet?) but here’s what one expert has to say.
Eichel is one of the very best college freshmen of the modern era, and had a simply fantastic season. His skill level is elite, and it’s off the charts for a 6-2 forward in terms of the amount of high-level plays he makes regularly. Eichel uses a longer than average stick, and with his wingspan and skills he can be almost impossible to get off of the puck. He makes evasions seem effortless to where I often hear from scouts that he looks “bored” on the ice because he exerts so little energy when he makes defensemen miss.
He’s strong, works hard and thinks the game at such a high level that he creates chances in bunches. His hockey sense allows him to be a top-end playmaker, but he’s also a very good defensive forward, who has often been one of his team’s top penalty killers. He skates very well with an explosive first few steps and a smooth glide you don’t see often with bigger players. He projects as a potential No. 1 star center.
Exciting words, especially that last sentence. Read the rest of the article here, and watch Eichel in the World Championships this week.