Jack Eichel

Eichel's inevitable divorce from the Sabres finally happened in early November. He was dealt to Vegas, had the disc replacement surgery in his neck he was seeking, and returned in mid-February to play all 34 of the Golden Knights' games the rest of the way. Eichel's production was marginal (14 goals, 25 points), at least for him, but that's secondary to the fact he returned to full health. There may be no more obvious bounce-back candidate in the league given what we have seen from Eichel in the past. He's worth reaching for in your draft given his massive upside.

The saga that is Eichel versus Buffalo is almost certainly coming to a conclusion before next season begins, but as of this writing, Eichel remains a member of the Sabres. He posted two goals and 18 points in 21 games for Buffalo a season ago before a neck injury ended his year. Eichel wants disc replacement surgery in his neck, an operation he and his doctors claim is perfectly safe. The Sabres disagree, although since Eichel wants out and the club wants to trade him, this decision will almost certainly be made by a different NHL franchise. Eichel is one of the best players in the league and should again produce early-round value when he steps on the ice, but keep an eye on the injury situation here.

Eichel had a career year in 2019-20, setting new personal bests in goals (36), game-winning goals (nine) and power-play points (27). While he ultimately failed to reach the 80-point threshold, the offensively-gifted center almost certainly would have hit that mark for the second straight year were it not for the league shutdown. The 24-year-old Massachusetts native could see his production continue to climb in 2020-21, as the Sabres have brought in Taylor Hall to play on his wing, pairing Eichel with an elite scoring option for the first time in his career. Eichel will need to continue to fire on all cylinders while producing at an above point-per-game pace for Buffalo to have any chance at ending its playoff drought next season.

Eichel has always lived in first overall pick Connor McDavid's shadow, but the second overall selection from the 2015 draft has become a star in his own right. Eichel's point total has climbed in each of his first four NHL campaigns, rising to 82 points in 77 games last season. His career rating is minus-65 and has never been better than minus-11, but that can be attributed to playing for a bad Sabres team that finally seems to be on the upswing. Further growth can be expected for Eichel as long as he stays healthy, and this could be the year he finally pushes for 30 goals after coming up just short with 28 in 2018-19. He won't turn into a true fantasy stud without more help from his teammates, though.

With 25 goals and 64 points last season, Eichel has scored at least 20 goals and improved his point total for the third straight campaign, but the Sabres need him to stay healthy and take a huge leap now that he's being paid $10 million annually. As the de facto franchise player, Eichel now has the entire weight of the franchise on his back and after suffering high-ankle sprains in two straight seasons, the hope is the good luck begins now. If Eichel manages to play all 82 games, he's a good bet to score around 40 goals, especially with the addition of Jeff Skinner, making him a top fantasy asset despite playing on a team that's not going to win a lot of games. Eichel is absolutely worth drafting in the first few rounds.

Eichel missed 21 games to open 2016-17 due to a high-ankle sprain, but upon his return, he showed why he’s a franchise player for the Sabres. He scored 12 points in his first 15 games back, but really hit his stride in February and finished the season with 36 points in his final 33 games. Had Eichel played the full season, he was on pace for 32 goals and 76 points on 334 shots, which would've placed him ninth overall in league scoring and first in shots. One minor point of concern is Eichel’s home-road split; he scored 36 points in 31 games at home, but just 21 in 30 games on the road, when opposing coaches were able to match their top defensive players against him more readily. The “McDavid or Eichel?” question from the 2015 draft has been answered twice: first, when Connor McDavid was selected ahead of Eichel with the first overall pick, and then when he scored 100 points and led his team to the playoffs while Eichel finished with a minus-13 rating for a poor Buffalo squad. Nevertheless, Eichel is undoubtedly Buffalo’s leading offensive force and a candidate to finish among the top 10 in league scoring.

After getting taken second overall in the draft last year, Eichel scored 24 times in his rookie campaign, second only to Calder Trophy-winner Artemi Panarin’s 30 goals. The Boston University star came to Buffalo with the weight of a 46-year-old franchise still yearning for its first Stanley Cup title, and he showed exceptional skating and shooting ability that improved as the season went along. Indeed, he was particularly strong down the stretch, closing out the season with 15 points in 17 games while seeing his ice time rise over 20 minutes per game. Ryan O’Reilly will remain ahead of Eichel on the Sabres' depth chart due to his versatility and experience, but the 19-year-old should get first crack at the premium offensive opportunities going forward, especially on the power play. After all, Eichel is the Sabres' franchise player.

Eichel would have been the top pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft -- and just about any other -- if it weren't for that Connor McDavid guy. Eichel is a Hobey Baker Award winner -- as a freshman, no less -- with great size and skill, a powerful stride, and a booming shot. He embodies the term "franchise center," and he'll be the best thing that hit the City of Fires since Pat LaFontaine. Eichel is poised excel in Buffalo, where he's the next great American hope. Fantasy-wise, he'll likely be a 50-goal man at his peak and might even top out with more than 100 points some day. But there's just as good a chance he'll have a Jonathan Toews- or John Tavares-like career. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing at all. Expect him to claim the second-line center role with Buffalo and maybe even deliver 25 or 30 goals in his first pro season. Yes, he’s really that good.

Eichel is the top, US-born prospect eligible for the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. He's uber-talented and would be a lock for the top pick in the draft if not for Connor McDavid, a Canadian junior considered to be a generational talent. Still, Eichel displays many of the game-changing skills of one Jonathan Toews. Like Toews, he's relentless on the puck and has the size, skills and smarts to excel. And also like Toews, Eichel is proving he can pick up a team and carry them on his back when they need a lift.