EICHEL’S GREAT YEAR IGNORED AS NEW PLAYERS EAT UP PRAISE.

Sabres’ top pick in 2015 stays under radar

Patrik Laine is on pace for the most rookie goals in 11 years. Auston Matthews is chucking gasoline on the Calder Trophy fire with a 3224-56 stat line while playing hard minutes.

Connor McDavid is, well, Connor McDavid. His patented rocket boots routine is alive and well, setting the table for a league-leading 80 points through Saturday.

Jack Eichel? Background noise.

Considered the best American prospect since Patrick Kane in the leadup to the 2015 NHL draft, Eichel is traditionally a topof-mind talent. Right now, though, it feels like he is an afterthought.

His “generational player” peers (McDavid, Matthews and Laine) are all enjoying excellent seasons yet, even lately, as Eichel stockpiles points (at least one in 17 of his last 20 games), he appears to be garnering little fanfare outside of Buffalo where he does his thing on behalf of the Sabres.

Let’s take a look at potential reasons why and evaluate his season as a whole.

FIRST OF ALL …

Eichel was inactive for the Buffalo Sabres’ first 21 games. The sophomore centre suffered a high ankle sprain on the eve of the regular season and did not return until late November.

Out of sight, out of mind. But since making his debut Eichel has been slyly dominant.

Eichel ranks ninth in league scoring over that span (Nov. 29 heading into Sunday’s game against Detroit), his 49 points sandwiched between Erik Karlsson’s 48 and Brent Burns’ 50.

“His speed, it separates him so easily. His overall game too — great stick, great shot, great hands — and I think it has been showing the past few months. He’s a firstclass player,” said Chicago Blackhawks forward John Hayden, Eichel’s teammate on the 2012-13 US National Development Team Program and 2015 world junior championship team.

ABOUT THOSE POINTS

Eichel has clearly made up for lost time but how does his 20-year-old season stack up against other 20-year-old seasons?

In a word, splendidly. The list of recent 20-year-old NHLers more productive than Eichel is short.

Eichel’s 0.96 per-game rate (49 points in 51 games) is bested by just six players in the salary cap era — Crosby (1.36), Ovechkin (1.31), McDavid (1.13), Steven Stamkos (1.11), Evgeni Malkin (1.09) and David Pastrnak (0.98).

Eichel, who spent the 2014-15 season at Boston University before turning pro, is showing gains year over year, too.

He finished second in rookie scoring last season, picking up 24 goals and 56 points in 81 games. Buffalo has 10 games left this year so, if he sustains or exceeds his current pace, Eichel will likely tie or break his rookie goal total and almost certainly surpass his point total (on pace for 59) despite appearing in 20 fewer games.

What’s more, Eichel has proven he can dominate on the power play.

Last year he put up 21 points on the man advantage. This year, he is tied for second in the entire NHL in PP points with 20, including eight goals.

ABOUT THOSE SHOTS

Sometimes a statistic is so unexpected it deserves to be double-, triple- and quadruple-checked. Exhibit A: Eichel is averaging four shots per game this year.

He is the co-leader in that category, tying Burns, the perennial shot-generating machine and Norris Trophy favourite, and leads the NHL in shots since making his season debut.

Eichel’s 204 shots on goal is 11 more than teammate Evander Kane, the No. 2 generator. Incredibly, Eichel has recorded a shot in every game this season, hitting the 10-shot mark on two occasions.

If Burns and Alex Ovechkin are the flag-bearers for shot quantity, Eichel is making a case to join the club. His four-a-game routine is not Ovechkin-esque but it’s close — no other 20-year-old in the cap era has averaged more than Eichel and Ovechkin (5.25).

Time on ice and quality of teammates are key factors in the shot conversation.

Sabres coach Dan Bylsma gives Eichel plenty of ice (20 minutes a night, including three on the PP) and his most common linemates (Sam Reinhart, Marcus Foligno and Kane) range from OK to above average.

Eichel is billed as a playmaker but the data suggest he has learned to unleash his trademark shot at will.

“He’s a really good skater. Good hands. Good shot,” said Toronto forward Zach Hyman, who has faced off against Eichel in both college and the NHL. “He’s deceptive in the O-zone.”

SOME CONTEXT

Eichel is probably the hardest player out of the McDavid-Eichel-Matthews-Laine crew to get a handle on statistically.

For one, his work without the puck leaves something to be desired. Secondly, despite throwing everything on net, his puck possession numbers are curiously in the red once again (46.8 per cent in 2015-16; 46.6 per cent this season). To boot, he is unreliable in the faceoff circle (40.6 per cent for his career).

Bylsma told BuffaloHockeyBeat.com recently that he is pleased with Eichel’s progress as a pro but stopped short of calling him a complete player.

“He’s worked hard on both sides of the puck — playing defence, defensive positioning, being a reliable and steady guy in the defensive zone,” Bylsma said. “I think his game has come miles in that regard since last year and even this year.

“The next level for Jack is being a guy who can play on both sides of the puck, (a) 200-foot game, being reliable and strong defensively and also be a guy that lugs the mail and is offensive on the other end of the rink.”

Eichel’s career, while young and sprinkled with question marks, is mighty interesting. His ability to accumulate points and hoard shots should not be understated or overlooked.

And, overall, Eichel is certainly not background noise.