The rookie season for Sabres C Jack Eichel is "expected to translate into booming jersey sales" for Buffalo-area sporting goods stores after "several years of a ho-hum Sabres roster," according to Samantha Christmann of the BUFFALO NEWS. Niagara Falls-based Laux Sporting Goods Manager Joe Eckl said, "It’s nice to have a jersey that people are going to want again.” He noted that the store "expects to have jerseys on shelves within 24 hours" after Eichel decides on which number he will wear. The store currently has 60 jerseys "waiting at a local embroiderer" that are finished "except for blank spaces on the front, back and sleeves, where the chosen number will be stitched." Christmann reports C Ryan O’Reilly, a free agent-signee, also is “expected to be another big draw,” as his seven-year contract “gives fans some certainty the nearly $200 investment will have some longevity.” While fans in recent seasons "still bought jerseys,” they did not sell at the "same clip a fan favorite or hot player can inspire.” The Sabres' "last jersey-buying spree" came during the '06-07 season, when the "rollout of the new 'slug' logo coincided with a 10-game winning streak." However, a single prospect "hasn’t been this highly anticipated in decades" (BUFFALO NEWS 7/7).
