The Buffalo Sabres have been expected to trade Jack Eichel for months. His neck injury this season caused a difference of opinion between his camp and the team, leading to a lack of trust, which only exasperated a tough situation. Eichel has been in Buffalo for six seasons but has still not suited up for a single playoff game. On the other side, the Sabres have been paying him $10MM per season for three years without any postseason revenue to show for it. A split seemed inevitable, but there are many complicating factors.
One of them that has been discussed at length is that $10MM cap hit and how it is difficult for other teams to fit under the cap ceiling. Eichel is a top player when healthy, but his injury situation makes it an extremely risky proposition for anyone interested in acquiring his services.
There’s another complication caused by his contract though, and this one has gotten far less attention. In fact, it’s basically the opposite problem of an acquiring team not being able to afford Eichel. The Sabres can’t really afford to take him off the books at this point.
Right now, there are two teams in the league that are actually well short of the salary cap’s lower limit of $60.2MM–the Ottawa Senators and, you guessed it, the Buffalo Sabres. According to CapFriendly, Buffalo currently sits at a projected cap hit for the 2021-22 season of just $52,897,763, more than $7.3MM under the lower limit. “But they have Casey Mittelstadt, Rasmus Dahlin and Henri Jokiharju to sign!” you might say, and that’s true, those three restricted free agents will likely take them well over the salary cap floor.
The problem is, that projection is including the $10MM owed to Eichel. If the team trades him, suddenly they’re more than $17.3MM under the lower limit, a number that will be a lot harder to make up with three restricted free agent deals.
Buffalo has already moved out some of their high-priced talent this offseason, trading away Rasmus Ristolainen and Sam Reinhart. They watched Linus Ullmark and Jake McCabe walk in free agency, replacing them with 40-year-old Craig Anderson for league minimum and Mark Pysyk at $900K. For whatever reason, they had the New Jersey Devils retain part of Will Butcher’s contract, making him cost even less for them.
Moving Eichel out of this financial puzzle right now for nothing but futures would mean several other moves would have to follow just to get the Sabres cap compliant for the start of the year. This isn’t really a situation that has ever played out in the NHL, but it’s one of their own making. Buffalo has been aggressively shedding salary all summer to restock the prospect and draft cupboards, but the side effect of those moves is that the last big chip is now an even more complicated piece to trade.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
no reason not to be taking on bad contracts in a cap environment like this.
Buffalo defines utter management incompetence. Must be difficult to be a Sabre fan and have to throw up a little bit in your mouth, everyday.
Who wants to pay this kind of salary for a guy that will miss 1 season at a minimum if he has the neck surgery Eichel and his agent want ???
The recovery is 3 months with the one Eichel and his representation want.
Richelieu could have had the surgery and fully recovered 3 times since his request
But what about Eichel?
Actually, I’m pretty sure i just read the replacement surgery is 6 to 8 weeks recovery
If Buffalo wants to trade Eichel, they’ll likely have to take a contract back. Sure, it probably won’t be $10 million, but a contract can come back. For arguments sake, lets use Nashville as an example. The Sabres can take say Duchene back as part of the package. That will be an $8 million cap hit. That would only be a $2 million drop in salary cap space. They can make up to the floor from there
That’s an obvious. I’d add that it would be a contract that’s set to expire, along with all the other goodies that Buffalo expects in the deal.
Won’t lie Nashville needs a legit top 6 centerman. Eichel would be a nice piece.
You just said what I was about to type!
But even if Buffalo didn’t want to take on a contract like Duchene’s, they certainly could take 5M back in salary (Myers and Borowiecki, as an example) and retain some of Eichel’s contract.
Fact is, the more of Eichel’s contract they retain, the better return they’ll likely get for him.
@Gbear I assume tolvanen, Tomasino and some bad roster contracts along with a first may get it done maybe more if Buffalo eats salary. Again I’m not sure the preds are in the convo but from this chat boards stand point it makes sense…well except giving up all their young forward talent lol. Maybe Fabbro… who else does Nashville have that would entice BUF??
Yea and if duchane goes back i would thinknit would cost more
@backhandinbaptist – Preds can’t afford to give up Tomasino or Tolvanen, but guys like Glass, Fabbro and Myers certainly could be part of a deal. Really would come down to what other teams are willing to part with for Eichel.
Tolvanen, Tomasino and Askarov
Eichel will be in Buffalo forever if they want that much for him.
I feel like that’s not even an unfair ask as those guys aren’t proven but have huge upside. Franchise centers don’t grow on trees unless you have the 1st overall draft pick tree like Edmonton. Problem is then Nashville gets rid of their future goalie and future talented forwards two things they lack for one franchise center(provided he heals from surgery) and nobody else up front. Probably doesn’t make sense for the preds.
@ericl i’m pretty sure buf doesn’t want anything to do with stl, but they may match up in a trade. buffalo takes vladimir and retain the max salary on eichel and take a 2nd or 3rd round pick. both teams get rid of unhappy players that also come with huge upside and risk. yes when eichel is healthy he is one of the best in the league and is worth more than a salary dump and a “lotto” ticket draft pick. the biggest problem with moving either vladimir or eichel is hockey is a very physical sport and having shoulder and neck problems are huge risks. this is also my reasoning for stl and buf to make this trade, both players want out and buf needs salary to stay at the floor and if vladimir is playing good for buf they can flip him and keep his salary.
The general manager has handled this the best he can which is horrific. He will have to let Eichel go for nothing and he will not sign Power. Poor decision making unless he stands up to the Pegula’s and threatens to resign if they do not keep Eckel and let him have his surgery.
How does that complicate things? If anything, it facilities a deal more easily. Almost any team looking to trade for will most surely need to send a good chunk of money back. I don’t think anyone would think it would only be picks going back in return. All the teams rumoured to be interested (Chicago, NY Rangers, Los Angeles, Vegas etc.) are all either over or nearly at the cap. Ex. Vegas would surely have to include players like Tuch and Dadonov just to start. The Kings, Brown and Quick. Rangers, Strome and Georgiev etc…
Just sign Cody Goloubef to a $20MM contract and you’re fine
Nah, padresfan, you want to sign some 22 year old kid to that $20 mil contract. Makes it easier to buy it out!
That’s how I rebuild on NHL 21. A few depth pieces at $7 mil
Taking on a 1 year “bad” contract will not hurt the Sabres.
All they want is some sweeteners to acquire that “bad” contract.
Besides by the trade deadline the Sabres can retain 50% of the remaining & trade that “bad” contract off to a contender.
I think it could help Buffalo more because if they are willing (have to) cover some of his contract they could ask for more computation like more First rounders and prospects with higher upside
All the more reason for Eichel to just go ahead and have the surgery he wants against the Sabres wishes. No way could they afford to file a grievance and have his contract terminated(I assume there’s a time frame that they would have to file the grievance within). They’d be forced to give up assets for bad contracts or pay big contracts to fringe nhl’ers just to get to the floor.
This is why a deal with the Rangers works out.
Buffalo takes Strome 4.5 million. Georgiev 2.5 million. Chityl 2.6 million. Also a combination of DeAngelo and Shattenkirk which is approx 2.2 million.
The Rangers will have to include a first round pick in 2022 plus Zac Jones a top defense prospect.
To sum this up the Rangers will send approx 12 million in contracts to Buffalo and Buffalo will send Eichel 10 million contract. .
Now Buffalo will have to sign a few free agents to make up difference.
I agree that it makes sense financially for NYR and Buf to do an Eichel trade but that’s not gonna get it done. Also, you can’t trade a cap hit from a buyout. Once the player is bought out, the payout and cap hit are permanent till it’s done. As much as it makes sense to send Strome financially, I don’t think Buf wants him. The better solution is for Buf to retain salary. Send Georgiev(2.5), Chytil(2.3), Kakko(1), Jones(1) and a conditional ’22 2nd that turns into a 1st if NYR make playoffs and Eichel plays in at least 50% of total games with Buf sending Eichel the other way with 50% retained salary. NYR send 6.65 mil to Buf in the deal. Now, I don’t think the NYR should give up that much, however it’s prob what it would take to get a deal done.
If that doesn’t get it done maybe the Rangers can throw in Fox and Lafreniere as well.
Those proposed deals are ridiculous. Get a grip.
Anything without Laf and Fox or Kakko doesn’t do it. That injury does complicate things but are we forgetting this guy is a perennial 90 point play-driving center. Doubtful any prospect on NYR will hit that, even laf.
@Billy DeAngelo and Shattenkirk are no longer Rangers and their buyouts cannot be traded.
@capitain there is no way the Sabres are eating 50% of Eichel’s salary. You can’t eat 50% for just one year, it’s not legal in NHL contracts. They can eat 5M which would only equate to 1M a year, which isn’t worth it still.
@backhand, Jack has NEVER hit 90 points. Ever. Not in Jr, not in pre Jr, not in the NHL. How is he a perennial 90 point player? And secondly, Fox refused to sign with Calgary and Carolina and stated he would only sign with the Rangers. Why would they trade away a Norris winning talent who only wants to play for them?
@wreckage you’re totally right and he only had one ppg season really. Low 80’s. Why did I think he was always in the90 point range… what heck was I thinking… when I look at his stats I’m not really that wowed. Who the heck was I thinking of…
36 goals in 68 games is impressive but he only did it once.
I wonder if the Sabres would retain a bit of salary along with taking on a bad contract? Eichel’s deal still has 5 years on it, so you wouldn’t want a huge chunk of change still remaining in like 2024, 25, or 26. But maybe $2 million is palatable? (insert joke about the Sabres not contending in five years anyway so it doesn’t really matter)
Adams could also get creative. If the team who offers the best return for Eichel doesn’t have that bad contract to send back, involve a third club that does.
It’s an interesting situation they’re in, but one I think they can figure out and make the cap floor.
Or, maybe all the cost cutting is a sign they won’t trade Eichel for another year. His NMC doesn’t kick in until 2022-23 so they still have time.
If they just need a large one-year contract to get to the floor, I selflessly volunteer to sign said contract. I am not even a Sabres fan, nor can I skate backwards, but I will take $10 million on a one year contract to get an Eichel trade done. You are welcome!
Your kindness knows no bounds…
Jack Eichel is grossly overrated complicates trade.
That should be the title.
In 6 pro seasons he has been a PPG player twice, and never carried his team anywhere but to the cellar. Just because he was the 2nd ranked player in the McDavid draft doesn’t make him elite. The guy is good, but not 10M good, nor 4-5 1sts equivalent good on top of acquiring that contract. When he carries his team on to win anything, then he might be better than good.