Connor McDavid earned his 100th point of the season when he set up Leon Draisaitl for a third-period goal Sunday night against the Canucks. Buffalo Sabres star Jack Eichel probably wasn’t too happy about it.
It was a special moment for Edmonton Oilers fans and McDavid, the only NHLer to hit the century mark this season, but it also caused Eichel to miss out on a $2-million bonus.
According to CapFriendly, had Eichel finished in the top 10 in NHL in points per game he would’ve received the bonus, however Draisaitl leapfrogged him and his goal set up by McDavid was the nail in the coffin.
Eichel, 20, put up 24 goals and 33 assists in just 61 games after missing the beginning of the season with a high-ankle sprain. Following a 13-game stretch in March where he had 19 points, Eichel cooled down and scored only two points over his final six games for a season average of .934 points per game.
Draisaitl scored a goal and added an assist Sunday, which saw him finish the regular season with 77 points in 82 games for a points per game average of .939.
If Draisaitl had only registered one point on Sunday his season average would’ve been .926 points per game and Eichel would sit in the No. 10 spot and he’d be $2 million richer.
Like many high draft picks, Eichel’s entry-level contract was incentive-laden. This season he could have made as much as $2.85 million in performance bonuses—roughly the same amount both McDavid and Auston Matthews earned this year.
Eichel had one more point than he did in his rookie season but accomplished that in 20 fewer games.
“I haven’t scratched the surface of what I can be,” the 2015 second-overall pick told reporters Monday as the Sabres cleaned out their lockers.
Despite improving as an individual, his Sabres took a step back in 2016-17, something Eichel isn’t happy about.
“I think guys want to win, but there’s a difference between saying you want to win and actually wanting to win and putting the work in and dedicating your life to it,” Eichel said. “That’s what a winning culture is, not being satisfied with yourself, not being satisfied with the fact that you’re losing. It’s important to realize that you can’t be satisfied with the fact you’re in the NHL.”
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