NHL Draft: Jack Eichel Unsure About Turning Pro

By Patrick Helper | Jun 8, 2015

If you were Jack what would it take for you to turn pro? The answer for Sabres fans may not be what you think. With the NHL Draft only a little over three weeks away Jack Eichel is still not sure if he will be a NHL player next year. The projected second overall pick comes from an education first family, and at only 18 years old there is no real reason to rush into the NHL. In some ways Eichel staying in college could be the best thing for the Buffalo Sabres.

I’m sure fans are wonder what the heck am I talking about. It’s simple really. Staying in college would give the Eichel vs. McDavid thing a year off. It would also give Eichel

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another year of leadership experience. All in all there are worst things than a kid choosing college for an extra year.

"There’s some unfinished business,” he explained. “It was definitely tough to lose the last game, and I think that’s one of the lures of coming back — we didn’t graduate too many guys. Obviously we lost our goalie [Matt O’Connor, signed in Ottawa] and two of our top-six forwards [including Evan Rodrigues, who signed in Buffalo]. Pro Hockey Talk"

After losing the national championship game in his freshman season at Boston; Eichel has unfinished business in the college game. As every athlete knows sometime it’s the unfinished business that pushes you to do something out of the blue. Jack Eichel wouldn’t be the first college top prospect to go back to school and tell the NHL to wait. Jonathan Toews told the Blackhawks to hold on after he went number three in the 2006 NHL Draft.

"If you want him to go back to college and feel that is the best thing for him and the Sabres there is nothing wrong with that. A lot of players we think needed more time to minors. He is absolutely NHL ready but for him another year in college at a time where the Sabres currently are would not necessarily be a bad thing. With the current present state of the Sabres him being here or not be here and would not hurt the team either way, and might make his development even better. [Ron Toczek]"

With the NHL scouting combine in the rear view mirror and showing the hockey world he may be the best athlete in the 2015 class; Eichel will wait until after the Sabres select him to make a final choice. Eichel has already proven he can skate with NHL player, but this is a most likely about a lot more than hockey. There is life after hockey, and while a degree from Boston is unlikely maybe he still wants more of the college experience.

There are so many reason to turn pro right away, and there may be equally as many reason not to turn pro next season. I can’t imagine how hard a choice this must be. But, let’s give Jack Eichel some credit; he doesn’t seem to be rushing anything.

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