Sabres' Eichel confident in bounce-back season after summer additions

The feeling around the Buffalo Sabres locker room is that the offseason changes are going to lead to a bounce-back season.

Jack Eichel is one player who feels that way, and he points to the shake-ups made this summer by general manager Jason Botterill as a reason to believe in Buffalo this season.

"There's a lot of new faces in there. So I think a lot of the people with a sour taste in their mouths from the last few years have either gotten over it or aren't in the locker room anymore," Eichel told NHL.com's Amalie Benjamin. "I think it's a good opportunity for us to just prove ourselves to the league and prove ourselves to ourselves."

"I think just the mood around the room and the mood talking to guys is a lot better. I think we're confident that if we do the right things, we can be more successful than we were the last few years. I think it's going to be a good year."

While drafting star blue-liner Rasmus Dahlin first overall was the highlight of the summer for the Sabres, it wasn't the only major move for the club.

Veteran center Ryan O'Reilly was shipped to the St. Louis Blues for a bevy of assets, including a pair of forwards in Vladimir Sobotka and Patrik Berglund, while the team also added Jeff Skinner in a deal with the Carolina Hurricanes.

It's these sorts of additions that inspire Eichel's positive outlook, even after the Sabres finished with just 62 points last season.

"I think you always have to be optimistic," Eichel said. "You look at teams last year like Colorado, New Jersey, teams that may have struggled the year before but had great years last year with making some changes and obviously I think maybe changing a mindset and creating a different culture. I think that those are some teams that we can try and model our season after."

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