Stars not powering Oil or Sabres
McDavid, Ecihel having troubles meeting fans’ lofty expectations
Connor McDavid was supposed to be tearing up the NHL, and his Edmonton Oilers were supposed to be a Western Conference powerhouse.
Jack Eichel was supposed to be just as good as McDavid. His Buffalo Sabres were supposed to be an Eastern Conference powerhouse.
Two years since that historic 2015 draft — the Oilers beat the odds to take McDavid with the first overall pick; the Sabres, after a season of tanking, chose Eichel at No. 2 —neither rebuild seems on track, despite megacontracts handed out to both young players.
“There’s nervousness among the fans in Edmonton,” said Rob Brown, a former player and now the Oilers’ analyst on local radio. “The expectations were so high, and the oddsmakers came out and said they were favourites and everyone’s expectations got even higher.
“The problem with those expectations is that a team that was flying under the radar was now under pressure to perform. It’s way harder to be a team that is favoured than to be a team that is an underdog. It plays in the minds of the players, and the minds of the opposition that is taking them a lot more seriously. The weight of the entire city is on you. (You think) if you don’t have full success, then you’re a failure.”
The Oilers went into Tuesday night’s action with nine points, second-last in the Western Conference. The Sabres had 10 points, last in the East. And while their offensive production is not what was expected, McDavid (five goals, 11 assists) and Eichel (four goals, nine assists) are not the problems with their respective teams.
A rash of injuries (Andrej Sekera, Leon Draisaitl) exposed a lack of depth in Edmonton. Trades have not produced the desired results, with Ryan Strome unable to equal what was lost in Jordan Eberle. Young players like Jesse Puljujarvi haven’t developed as quickly as management might have hoped. Add poor team defence, common to many young teams, and you have an overreliance on McDavid, for whom the opposition is better prepared.
“I think he’s starting to feel the frustration of it,” said Louie DeBrusk, a former player and now an Oilers analyst with Sportsnet. “It’s like if he doesn’t do his all-worldly thing on a nightly basis, they don’t even have a chance. Games in which he seems to have a tough night, they lose.
“Being the star player — I can see it on his face, I’ve played with guys that feel the same way — that’s a whole lot of pressure on a young player who thought other players were going to take a step forward too.”
Eichel has already expressed his frustration as the losses have mounted in Buffalo. The Sabres are on a 1-3-0 downturn as injuries to the defence mount. Rasmus Ristolainen is the latest to be added to a list that includes Zach Bogosian and Nathan Beaulieu.
“Yes, Eichel is frustrated, everybody is frustrated, but how can you not be?” said former goalie Martin Biron, an analyst on Sabres broadcasts. “The results are not what they want. There’s going to be frustration.”
The Sabres have traditionally been a draft-and-develop organization. But some recent high picks, like Sam Reinhart and Alexander Nylander, haven’t panned out as stars. The players are making mistakes, are perhaps a half-step behind, and are unsure of themselves.
“I don’t want to make excuses, but there are a lot of new things (the Sabres) are trying,” Biron said.
Despite the poor starts, massive changes are not expected in either locale. The Sabres went through that last summer, bringing in new coach Phil Housley and new GM Jason Botterill. Botterill brought in 10 new players.
In Edmonton, GM Peter Chiarelli and coach Todd McLellan aren’t exactly bulletproof, but an organization that has been historically quick to pull the chute has committed to a long-term view.
While it’s early in the season, teams are constantly under review. By U.S. Thanksgiving, the tale of the season is often already told. Teams in a playoff spot — typically 13 out of the 16 — find themselves in the playoffs at season’s end.
“The season, it can get away from you fast,” DeBrusk said. “There’s not a whole lot of time to catch up. There is still some time, but you better start digging in.”
If not, the Sabres and Oilers could see themselves battling for another draft lottery win.