Eichel and Rienhart reminiscent of another Sabres rookie duo

There was a wide range of expectations for the Buffalo Sabres as they approached the 2015-16 season. Many of those expectations were linked to the acquisition of Jack Eichel, the second overall pick in the 2015 entry draft. Much was said about Eichel’s speed, strength, and leadership ability, and he has lived up to the hype in all of those regards.

There were also those who questioned the abilities of Sam Reinhart. Reinhart, the second overall pick in 2014, had a rough nine game tryout with the Sabres to start the 2014-15 season, and found himself back in the WHL, suiting up for the Kootenay Ice. He spent the season working on his skating and his faceoffs, but more importantly, he got bigger, adding the muscle necessary to take on the defenseman of the NHL.

Eichel –> Reinhart = #NextChapter pic.twitter.com/x44nvbxdFa

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) March 9, 2016

Eichel and Reinhart have developed into an elite-level scoring tandem – something that no one predicted at the onset of the season.

In Tuesday’s game against the New York Rangers, the pair hooked up for yet another textbook goal, with Eichel finding Reinhart streaking to the net. The tally sparked a fierce comeback attempt for the Sabres, who were down 3-0 before Reinhart scored. Though the team never did overcome the deficit, they definitely dominated play for the remainder of the game.

The regulation loss to New York marked the first time since February that the team failed to secure a point. Their climb through the standings has been surprising, especially since the team lost Ryan O’Reilly to injury, and with him, their scoring leader.

On Saturday, March 5, the team faced the Minnesota Wild, which included former Sabres Thomas Vanek and Jason Pominville. Eichel scored his 19th goal on the power play, on a pass from Reinhart – his 12th assist of the season. The assist put Reinhart at 30 points, and the pair became the first rookies to score 30 or more points in a season since 2005-06, when Vanek and Pominville accomplished the feat themselves.

On paper, the 2005-06 Sabres and the 2015-16 Sabres are two very different teams.

That season, Vanek, Pominville, and those goat-head sweaters cruised through the NHL, hitting the Eastern Conference Final with momentum, and were a game away from the Cup final before losing too many defensemen to injury.

This season’s Sabres team has struggled to climb out of the bottom of the standings.

In their rookie seasons, Vanek and Pominville were 22 and 23 years old, respectively. They had spent time in the AHL, playing with bigger and stronger competition. They also had the support of a first-class defensive unit and a surrounding cast of forward talent that included future hall of famers like Danny Briere.

The Sabres of a decade ago had the ability to take the time to grow as a team, and that patience paid off. After the disappointing loss in the conference championship, the Sabres went on to win the President’s Trophy the next season, and played in the conference championships once again, only to lose to the Ottawa Senators.

The contemporary Sabres haven’t been afforded that time. Eichel turned 19 just days before Halloween. Reinhart turned 20 just over a week later. These two young stars skipped that intermediary step in the minors to play with the big club, and they have, by all statistical indicators, succeeded in doing so.

This team has forward talent – O’Reilly is a super star, and Evander Kane has begun to fit in better with the team, which will eventually yield the scoring that is expected of him.

They’re lacking a bit on the blue line, where another young standout, 21-year-old Rasmus Ristolainen, has spent the season trying to cover up the mistakes of his veteran colleagues. The team is sorely missing a solid, left handed number-two defenseman, and could use another lefty to boost the second pairing.

Compared to the team from ten years ago, these kids are missing a lot of the support that was afforded Vanek and Pominville.

As Eichel and Reinhart continue to amaze, it’s easy to predict success for the team, but if history has taught us anything, it is that they will need solid support, especially from the blue line, if they are going to be a serious contender. Thankfully, Murray has amassed quite a collection of draft picks that could easily be turned into type of players that Buffalo is missing.

While fans await the promise of future triumphs, for now, they can at least enjoy watching Eichel and Reinhart play with opposing defenses like cats with mice.

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