NEWSLETTER
While we were sleeping, or supposed to be sleeping for those night owls out there, the Buffalo Sabres and Vegas Golden Knights found common ground on a blockbuster trade that sends former Sabres Captain and 2015 second overall pick Jack Eichel to Vegas for a pretty decent haul. Eichel has been out all season due to a neck injury, which the treatment and recovery plan for became the tipping point in the break-up of Eichel and the Sabres.
• Now headed to Vegas, Eichel has an opportunity for a new beginning in his career, no longer being relied upon as the only star on his team.
Overnight Blockbuster: Sabres Trade Jack Eichel to the Golden Knights https://t.co/TGhs4K0LXn
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) November 4, 2021
• The trade details made official this morning.
🚨 OFFICIAL 🚨
The Golden Knights have acquired Jack Eichel and a conditional pick from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, and two conditional picks.
JACK EICHEL IS A GOLDEN KNIGHT!!! #VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/T8hLG2BcZI
— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) November 4, 2021
• Along with Eichel, Buffalo also sends a 2023 third-round pick to the Golden Knights in exchange for Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, a 2020 first-round pick, and a 2023 third-round pick. All picks involved have conditions though:
Draft pick info from the @GoldenKnights on Eichel trade. pic.twitter.com/jsxmEAK6nO
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) November 4, 2021
• Eichel was drafted second-overall in the 2015 NHL Draft, right after Connor McDavid (and right before Dylan Strome). There were discussions during the lead-up to the draft that summer over which of the top two prospects would be worthy of the top overall pick, McDavid and Eichel were nearly interchangeable. Ultimately, that has not been the case. But it’s nota slight to Eichel. He was supposed to come to Buffalo and lead the revitalization of the Sabres back to a perennial playoff contender. That never happened. Was it all Eichel’s fault? No. But this is not how the story was supposed to go, as John Vogl of The Athletic talks about here:
The Jack Eichel era in Buffalo is over.
It wasn’t supposed to end this way. The marriage was supposed to be a storybook, not another sad chapter. https://t.co/hVpYVyVbfc
— John Vogl (@BuffaloVogl) November 4, 2021
• Turning to Blackhawks land, one of the bigger developments in the ongoing amends-making tour for Chicago following the publication of the Jenner and Block investigation findings was getting former video coach Brad Aldrich’s name off of the 2010 Blackhawks Stanley Cup engraving. Over the weekend, it was done.
The Hockey Hall of Fame Has Etched-Out Brad Aldrich’s Name from the Stanley Cuphttps://t.co/YvelXh5LO0
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) November 3, 2021
• A visual of the X’d-out engraving that will serve as a deserved scar on the Blackhawks legacy of the 2010 Stanley Cup championship team.
Brad Aldrich's name removed from the Stanley Cup
(📸 @keeperofthecup, @reporterchris)#Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/Wr5Q9pVZMT— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) November 3, 2021
• Also happening in the wake of the findings were Blackhawks players, and players around the league, commenting on the findings, the courage it took for Kyle Beach to come forward, and what they made of the front office members and coaches who were let go from their positions in the fallout. In the initial round of comments, the remaining Blackhawks from that 2010 team, Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, spoke about their relationships with Stan Bowman and Al MacIsaac and who they are as people, rather than address atrocities that happened under their watch. They were justifiably dragged for those comments. Now, both have retraced their steps and course-corrected their words, now coming forward to support Beach and apologize for their original statements.
Both Toews and Kane Have Changed Tone Regarding Their Comments on Kyle Beach Fallouthttps://t.co/dsvUZo5bdq
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) November 3, 2021
• Sometimes, the right words to say are hard to find. Sometimes, they are on a silver platter.
• And sometimes, wins are on a silver platter, too. The Blackhawks had a fantastic opportunity last night to be the first ones to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes this season. Up 3-1 in the second period, the Blackhawks allowed three unanswered goals and failed to capitalize on three third period powerplay chances to fall 4-3 and move to a 1-8-2 record this season.
Seth Jones: "We keep shooting ourselves in the foot… Going into the 3rd period with a 1-goal lead, we have to be able to lock it down, make simple plays and not beat ourselves. That's what you see happening through these first 10 games: We're beating ourselves."
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) November 4, 2021
• Last night was evident why the Hurricanes are 9-0-0. They battled back from their first multi-goal deficit of the season and when the Blackhawks were making their final desperation push last in the game, they held their ground. That’s what good teams do. That’s what this Blackhawks team was supposed to be able to do.
A very dispirited Jeremy Colliton on blowing the lead: "The teams that win, they handle it much better than we did."
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) November 4, 2021
• Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane powered the offense, combining for the three goals scored by the Blackhawks. But the two cannot be the only contributions offensively if Chicago is going to dig themselves out of this 1-8-2 start to the season.
• A major point of positivity for the Blackhawks so far this season has been their powerplay. Ranking in the top-eight of the league so far through ten games, the powerplay unit has been driving the offensive output foe the Blackhawks this season while their 5v5 play has been at the bottom of the league. With three powerplay chances in the third period, one of them a four-minute opportunity, the Blackhawks were unable to find the equalizing goal.
Eight minutes of power-play time, the last 75 seconds or so with the goalie pulled for an extra attacker. The Blackhawks' sixth-ranked PP comes up empty.
— Mark Lazerus (@MarkLazerus) November 4, 2021
• The top unit last night consisted of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Alex DeBrincat, Seth Jones, and Ryan Carpenter. Tell me which one sticks out? I like Ryan Carpenter as a versatile role player on this team. I do not like Ryan Carpenter as a top powerplay option.
Can we be done with Ryan Carpenter on PP1, please?#Blackhawks
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@BN_Blackhawks) November 4, 2021
• Especially with the game on the line late in the third period, having Carpenter on that top unit showed a lack of urgency to have the best options to score on the ice at the most crucial time of the game. This coming from the same coach who turned over the clipboard to the players just a few games ago.
Jeremy Colliton on 4-3 loss to Carolina: "It's another hard lesson. But I would like us to stop learning hard lessons." #Blackhawks
— Charlie Roumeliotis (@CRoumeliotis) November 4, 2021
• Moral victories, hard lessons, baby-steps…I’m sick of all of it. That was fine for the 2020-21 Blackhawks, not this team. Not this roster.
This is the kind of season the #Blackhawks were supposed to have on the ice last year, & I was mentally prepared for it. Now? This is bullshit hockey from a team that is supposedly better than what they've been showing. Sick of moral victories & learning hard lessons. Win a game.
— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) November 4, 2021
• Not having trouble scoring, producing, and winning so far this season are the Edmonton Oilers. Sitting atop the Pacific Division, the Oilers also have their dynamic duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl sitting atop the league leaders in points and goals to begin the year.
• Draisaitl notched a two-goal, three-point night last night, while McDavid tallying a pair of assists in Edmonton’s 5-2 win over the Predators.
The @EdmontonOilers' dynamic duo is at it again. 🔥🚨 pic.twitter.com/wS6nQ8BlJG
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 4, 2021
• Last season, it was mesmerizing to watch McDavid chase the 100-point mark in the shortened season. This season, it seems like both he and Draisaitl will be chasing the highest point totals in the league since Mario Lemieux led the league with 168 point in the 1987-88 season.
Updated Point Pace:
Leon Draisaitl 182
Connor McDavid 173#LetsGoOilers— Nick Alberga (@thegoldenmuzzy) November 4, 2021
• Speaking of Lemieux…
Oilers Leon Draisaitl
First player with 20 points thru his team's first 9 games of a season since Mario Lemieux in 2002-03
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) November 4, 2021
• We’ll see if they both can continue this kind of scoring pace throughout the season. I feel it’s unlikely that they will both reach those kinds of numbers, but realistically, wouldn’t be surprised if they both flirt with the 130’s this year and make it a race between teammates for the Art Ross Trophy.
• Hey, remember when Jamie Benn won the Art Ross in 2015 with 87 points? Lol, what was that?
• That will do it for today, hope you al have a good Thursday ahead of you!
