The NHL has become a league of two tiers of players. One is the rarefied air of multi-year deals where players ink contracts of four or more years. The other side is the one and two-year deals for what seems to a perpetual crop of rental players easily interchangeable.
This player management process is evident in, though not specific to, Buffalo where the 
Sabres are preparing for the Jack Eichel talks.
Eichel is in a contract year and one would think the Sabres and Eichel would come to agreement this season. But that might be wishful thinking. Eichel most certainly recognizes his own potential stardom and now has the Connor McDavid contract as an objective.
The Sabres would be better served to get him locked up rather than lose him to a team with deeper pockets and deeper benches to support him.
“We think we can be really good,” Eichel said on NBCSports.com. “We think we can be a playoff team. That’s what’s important. We have to go into training camp with the right mindset, get the season off and running, put our best foot forward.”
Buffalo signed 11 players thus far in this off season to one and two-year deals.
Their goaltending tandem of Chad Johnson ($2.5 million) and Robin Lehner ($4 million) was signed to one-year deals.
Benoit Pouliot was signed to a show me contract for just north of one million.
“It was a frustrating year last year,” Pouliot said on NHL.com. “Ever since I’ve been in the League, I don’t think I’ve had a tough year like that … I’m hoping to get a good look in Buffalo and a fresh start.”
Pouliot was drafted in 2005 by the Minnesota Wild.
“For me, it’s mostly about speed and forecheck and putting pressure on the [defense], turning pucks over,” Pouliot said. “Last year I had my fair share of penalty killing, which I’ve never had before which was really good for me personally and as a team.
“Last year was a tough year overall and everything, but I can put the puck in the net, I can play in different situations with different players, so it’s good.”
Restricted free agent, Nathan Beaulieu, was signed to a two-year deal by the Sabres.
The Sabres went through a convulsive upheaval in the management ranks when the club fired head coach Dan Bylsma and general manager Tim Murray on successive days as the season ended.
In their stead, Phil Housley and Jason Botterill were hired for head coach and GM respectively.
“I think that that next step in terms of being a dominant player and a leader on our team with more of an impact, it should be there next season,” Eichel said on NHL.com. “Some of us are getting older and we should start building more confidence in ourselves and start expecting more out of ourselves.”
That’s big talk from Eichel who has been tagged as the instigator in the firing of Bylsma and Murray. Buffalo media reported Eichel was unwilling to talk contract with leadership in place.
He has a new head coach and GM and now it is put up or shut up.
“I think it was a good time for a fresh start for everyone and to be able to not have to worry about the opinions that were already formed,” Eichel said. “It’s good for a lot of guys in the room. People are excited.
“Guys are going to respect [Housley and Botterill].”
You don’t get to McDavid-esque without proving yourself and Eichel is in the proving year.
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