Not even the NHL’s proposed 24-team playoff format could help the Buffalo Sabres get a shot at at the Stanley Cup.
And Jack Eichel has had enough.
The second overall pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft has yet to see a playoff season with his team. And while he, like many of us, watching “The Last Dance,” felt he could relate to Michael Jordan as he was searching for his first championship ring.
“He had the whole team working a week later,” Eichel told The Athletic’s John Vogl of the 1990 season when the Chicago Bulls lost to the Detroit Pistons. “You know how much Jordan cared about being the best, how much he cared about winning. It seemed like nothing else mattered.”
Buffalo’s 2019-20 regular season came to an official end Tuesday, as it will be one of the six teams that does not make the playoffs. That’s something Eichel, unfortunately, is used to over the last five seasons.
“Listen, I’m fed up with the losing,” he said. “It’s been a tough couple months. It’s been a tough five years. I’m a competitor. I want to win every time I go on the ice. I want to win the Stanley Cup every time I start a season.”
And even though it’s unclear when the 2020-21 season will begin, that hasn’t stopped Eichel from continuing to work toward the ultimate goal.
“I’ve already started preparing for next season,” he said. “I’m already back on the ice. I’m already training. I’m already doing things to try and better myself for the start of next season, whenever that is.”
One thing’s for sure, there’s no doubt Eichel will be ready once the puck drops next season.
