Jack Eichel is only the 3rd player on this embarrassing list of top draft picks

PUBLICATION

Josh tupper
April 30, 2022 (9:08)

SHARE THIS STORY

When Jack Eichel was drafted 2nd overall in 2015, but he and the Buffalo Sabres had very high hopes. In any other draft Eichel would have been the consensus 1st overall pick. Unfortunately for Eichel, 2015 was the year of McDavid. Fast forward 7-seasons and Eichel is no longer a member of the Buffalo Sabres and he's no longer regarded as a top 5 talent in the league.

This past November Eichel forced a trade out of Buffalo, and he ended up as a member of the Vegas Knights. Eichel had aspirations of finally playing in the playoffs, but after a collapse that would make the Maple Leafs blush, the Golden Knights missed the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

After Jack Eichel failed to contribute significantly to the Knights' playoff push there are many questions surrounding Eichel. Reporter Darren Haynes uncovered an embarrassing stat about Jack Eichel and his regular season failures.

In the 40-year span from 1978 to 2017, only four players selected first or second in the NHL draft have not appeared in a playoff game.

Florida's Sam Reinhart will graduate from that list this year.

Jack Eichel will not.

Nail Yakupov and Patrik Stefan are the two others.

With the Vegas Golden Knights in need of shedding serious cap there is a very good chance that Jack Eichel's playoff drought could continue well into next year.