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Jack Eichel

Salary Cap Lower Limit Complicates Jack Eichel Trade

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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

Atlantic Notes: Eichel, Foligno, Witkowski

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The Rangers and Golden Knights are among the teams that are still interested in Sabres center Jack Eichel, notes Larry Brooks of the New York Post.  Brooks suggests that Buffalo retaining salary might be enough to get New York to part with a top young asset like Kaapo Kakko in a deal although with five years left on that contract, retaining would be a sizable cost for Buffalo which may not be something they want to do.  Meanwhile, Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon mentioned earlier in the week that he expected that the team they have now is what they’ll go into training camp with but as we’ve seen in the past, they’re willing to make big moves and move players around to make the salary cap fit work.

More from the Atlantic Division:

  • Still regarding Eichel, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News posits that the statement his agents released on Friday isn’t going to help the trade process along as GM Kevyn Adams won’t want to acquiesce now and create any appearances that the statement forced his hand. While the clock is ticking for him to have the artificial disk replacement surgery that he’s seeking and be ready for training camp, Sabres doctors won’t sign off on that and are pushing for standard fusion surgery which carries a longer recovery time.  We’ll find out soon enough if there’s a team that’s willing to meet Buffalo’s price tag or if this process will drag out longer.
  • Bruins winger Nick Foligno told Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription link) that he has fully recovered from the back injury that limited him to just four of Toronto’s seven playoff games and that he’ll be ready for training camp in September. Boston signed the 33-year-old winger to a two-year, $7.8MM deal on the opening day of free agency and informed Foligno that they may use him on his off-wing with Brad Marchand and Taylor Hall serving as the top two left wingers on the depth chart.
  • The Red Wings will use veteran Luke Witkowski on both the wing and on defense with AHL Grand Rapids, GM Steve Yzerman told reporters (video link). The veteran, who primarily plays on the back end, has played both positions over the last few seasons and had a sparing role with AHL Syracuse in 2020-21 but should be called upon to play more regularly next season.

Jack Eichel’s Agents: “The Process Is Not Working”

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For months now, there has been an expectation that the Sabres and Jack Eichel would be parting ways.  The center was shut down in early March due to neck issues with the two sides disagreeing on the best course of action.  Eichel’s camp wanted an artificial disk replacement which is something that hasn’t been done on an NHL player, a request Buffalo’s doctors balked at.  Instead, they recommended a 12-week conservative treatment.  That has come and gone and the issue hasn’t gone away.

There hasn’t been any progress made in terms of a new plan to fix the problem while Eichel remains with the Sabres.  Late Friday, his agents Peter Fish and Peter Donatelli released the following statement to various reporters and outlets including Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News:

The process is not working. As previously stated, we fully anticipated a trade by the start of the NHL free agency period.  After the agreed upon and prescribed period for conservative rehabilitation lapsed in early June 2021, it was determined by the Sabres medical staff that a surgical procedure was required.  The recommendation by Jack’s independent neurosurgeon, other spine specialists consulted, and the surgery Jack feels most comfortable having in order to correct a herniated disk in his neck is to proceed with artificial disk replacement surgery. A further point of concern is that our camp was initially under the impression that the Sabres specialist was in agreement with the artificial disk replacement surgery until that was no longer the case.

What is being left out of the discussion is that Jack would be able to play in the NHL for the start of the season pending medical clearance if he were allowed to have the surgery he desires even as of this date. Repeated requests have been made to the Sabres since early June to no avail. This process is stopping Jack from playing in the NHL and it is not working.

While this was clearly done to try to expedite the trade process along, the claim that Buffalo’s staff is in agreement that surgery is needed is also noteworthy even if there remains a disagreement on what that procedure needs to be.  While Sabres GM Kevyn Adams is right to put a high price tag on his franchise forward, the fact that surgery is needed should, in theory, help to get a move done as if the process continues to drag out, he could miss time next season which is a scenario that’s not ideal for any side.

For his part, Adams has been firm in his assertion that they’re in any rush to get things done, telling reporters that in a press conference on the opening day of free agency (video link):

I think what’s critically important to make sure is clear is that we’re in control of this process, we have a player under contract, we don’t feel any pressure. If there’s a deal out there that we feel is the right thing for the Buffalo Sabres, that we feel is going to help us improve, whether that’s improve right away or improve down the road – those are all the things we weigh – we’d be open to it.

Eichel has five years remaining on his contract with a $10MM AAV but the perceived pressure point was next summer when his no-move clause kicks in.  However, this disagreement over how to deal with his neck injury has seemingly escalated that timeline.  At this point, it feels like only a matter of when a deal gets done and for Eichel’s agents at least, they believe the wait has already been too long.

Snapshots: Blue Jackets, Sabres, Buyouts, DeAngelo

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Between new head coach Brad Larsen, promoted from his previous role as assistant, and newly hired assistants Pascal Vincent and Sylvain Lefebvre, the Blue Jackets will have a combined 15 seasons as NHL assistants, 13 seasons as AHL head coaches, 11 seasons as a junior head coaches, six seasons as AHL assistants, and over 1,200 NHL games played worth of experience behind the bench. The one thing they don’t have? Any experience as an NHL head coach. As Aaron Portzline writes for The Athletic, there is zero NHL head coach experience in the entire Columbus organization right now and while GM Jarmo Kekalainen isn’t worried, he also isn’t above addressing that issue. Kekalainen is at least considering adding an advisor to the coaching staff; a veteran NHL head coach to help guide Larsen and company through their first season with a the re-tooling Blue Jackets. Portzline believes that one name who could certainly be in the mix is Jacques Martin, as the 68-year-old with 16 seasons as an NHL head coach is believed to be looking for this type of role. Other candidates will also surely emerge if and when Columbus decides that they are officially looking to fill the position.

  • Did Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams tip his hand in a recent interview with Pierre LeBrun for The Athletic? Discussing his team’s rebuilding plans, Adams stated the following:

(Rasmus) Dahlin, (Dylan) Cozens, (Casey) Mittelstadt, these are very, very young players… And I’ve been energized about this young core of Sabres we have that are hungry and they want to be part of the solution. … These guys are proud to be Buffalo Sabres, they want to fix this and get this right, they want to move forward together. So that’s the young core that we’re working to build around.

Sure, these are all key pieces for the Sabres in their rebuild. However, Adams did not mention the likes of Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, or Victor Olofsson, who are only marginally older than that group. His use of the words “proud to be Buffalo Sabres” and “want to be part of the solution” also feels purposeful, as if there are others on the team who are not and possibly that is why they are no longer part of the rebuild plans. While rumors have been swirling around Eichel and to some extent Reinhart as well, perhaps this is a real indication that Buffalo will be making major changes this summer.

  • The NHL’s buyout window opens 24 hours after the Stanley Cup is awarded, which could be as early as later tonight. In anticipation, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli lists ten names (and some honorable mentions) who could be buyout candidates. While much of this is educated speculation, Seravalli does have a scoop on his No. 1 name on the list, New York Rangers defenseman Anthony DeAngelo. Seravalli reports that the Rangers officially finalized a plan to buyout DeAngelo last week, a move that has been a long time coming since he was placed on leave in January for off-ice conduct. What remains to be seen is when exactly the buyout will be executed. The Rangers don’t need DeAngelo for the upcoming Expansion Draft, with Anthony Bitetto meeting exposure criteria and not expected to be protected, however New York may want to leave him in case they are able to tempt the Seattle. Even if the Kraken don’t bite, DeAngelo’s skill is enough to make him an intriguing free agent this summer following his buyout, even after a year off and some character concerns.

Trade Rumors: Eichel, Blackhawks, Kings

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Jack Eichel remains the biggest name on the trade market and will remain as such until he is dealt. Or not dealt? The Athletic’s John Vogl spoke to both sides and found that GM Kevyn Adams and Eichel’s agent had a long, productive meeting on Wednesday. Eichel’s camp believes that the situation is “heading toward a resolution.” Read into that what you will, but the language at least hints at a possible reconciliation between the two sides. This report comes on the heels of TSN’s Darren Dreger reporting that the Sabres’ asking price of “the equivalent of four first-round picks” has depressed the market. If the Sabres are not willing to drop the price of this franchise-altering trade, they could instead try to make amends with their superstar. Then again, Vogl also notes that the Sabres have not changed their opinion on Eichel’s proposed controversial neck surgery, a line in the sand that could still split the two sides. “Resolution” could still mean that the team and the player are working toward finding a trade.

  • One team in on Eichel are the Chicago Blackhawks. Don’t mistake their openness to trading iconic defenseman Duncan Keith as transitioning into a rebuild. Dreger notes that they are big game hunting this summer and have talked to Buffalo about the star center. However, Dreger does not believe that adding Eichel to a roster that already has two top-tier forward contracts in Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews is feasible from a cap perspective, even if Keith is moved. Instead, he believes that Chicago has a far better chance of landing one of their other two rumored targets: defensemen Seth Jones and Dougie Hamilton.
  • The equivalent of four first-round picks is a mighty big ask, but it won’t slow down the Los Angeles Kings if they want to add Eichel. L.A. has long been a rumored landing spot for Eichel and it seems there is mutual interest in a trade. As Vogl notes, the Kings’ ability to part with the pieces needed to land Eichel hasn’t changed with today’s deal for Nashville forward Viktor Arvidsson. L.A. parted with two valuable draft picks, but not a first-round pick nor any of their top-flight first-round prospects like Quinton Byfield, Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Turcotte, Rasmus Kupari, or Tobias Bjornfot. If Eichel remains on the market, the Kings will definitely be in play.

Snapshots: Eichel, Devils, HHOF

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When reports surfaced about Jack Eichel’s potential availability this summer, the first team that came to many minds was the New York Rangers. The Rangers have enough young assets to land the Buffalo Sabres center and are now focused on making the playoffs after a short rebuild. Today, Larry Brooks of the New York Post writes that the Rangers have had preliminary talks with the Sabres about Eichel and that the asking price is currently “four pieces that would be equivalent of first-rounders.” The Sabres have also, according to Brooks, not yet granted any medical record access to interested teams.

Obviously, an asking price isn’t necessarily indicative of what will eventually land a player in trade talks, but that report from Brooks shows just how high the Sabres are setting their sights in this negotiation. The team is dealing with a distressed asset, as Eichel has expressed frustration with the team over a difference in medical opinions, but will still not simply give him away. The biggest question mark surrounding the $10MM center is the health of his neck, which still may require surgery this offseason. Eventually, teams will have to get their hands on his medical records and determine how much risk is involved in an acquisition beyond just his recent on-ice struggles.

  • The New Jersey Devils are in the market for a young defenseman and would consider trading the fourth-overall pick, according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. The Devils have selected in the top ten three times in the last few years, taking Nico Hischier (first overall, 2017), Jack Hughes (first, 2019), and Alexander Holtz (seventh, 2020) in the early part of the first round. Perhaps that makes this year’s pick a little more expendable, especially with the uncertainty surrounding the 2021 class. Any trade that happens in the next few weeks has expansion draft implications, but as we examined recently, the Devils have a real opportunity to add defensemen with no risk of losing them to the Seattle Kraken.
  • The Hockey Hall of Fame is preparing to move forward with its 2020-21 induction ceremony on November 15th, though the actual event will be moved to a new venue. Ken Holland, Jarome Iginla, Kim St-Pierre, Marian Hossa, Kevin Lowe, and Doug Wilson were announced as the class of 2020 last year, but because of COVID-related closures, were never actually inducted. The HHOF decided not to induct a new class for 2021 but will return to its normal voting procedure for next year.

Latest On Jack Eichel’s Trade Market

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While Jack Eichel’s potential trade availability has dominated the headlines in recent weeks, there has actually been very little concrete information to come out about his market. The assumption is that every team will at least kick the tires on the superstar forward, but also that the Buffalo Sabres will have a hefty asking price that some may not want to pay and many others simply won’t be able to. The remaining group of possible landing spots could be small. To this point though, there has been little word on which teams fall into which categories – until now.

One team very much in the mix for Eichel is the Minnesota Wild. The Athletic’s Michael Russo has confirmed that Wild GM Bill Guerin has opened trade talks with the Sabres’ Kevyn Adams. Minnesota had a strong, resurgent season but still lacks star power at the center position, so it is no surprise that Guerin is interested. The Wild already have their plate full with extensions for Kirill Kaprizov, Kevin Fiala, and Joel Eriksson Ek, but it stands to reason that a potential Eichel trade would likely see one of the latter two heading to Buffalo. Russo points out that the salary cap would necessitate another roster player likely moving as well, while a top prospect such as Marco Rossi or Matthew Boldy would certainly be part of the package too. It’s a heavy price to pay – and that might not even be the full ask – but Buffalo knows that someone will pay up for Eichel. Russo warns that the Wild are an up-and-coming team and need to be completely sure of Eichel’s health status before making the expensive, long-term commitment and franchise-altering decision to acquire him.

Not everyone is willing to take that risk and the Columbus Blue Jackets are one of them. The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline writes that Columbus GM Jarmo Kekalainen has been busy working the phones and analyzing the trade market and Eichel has of course earned “due diligence.” However, he indicated that this was the extent of his trade talks with Adams. Portzline reports that a key piece of the Sabres’ asking price is a center with first-line potential and the Blue Jackets do not have anyone who fits that description. To make up for that deficit, Columbus’ would likely have to pay an exorbitant price to acquire Eichel. The likely package would include at least the No. 5 overall pick, if not multiple first-rounders, multiple young roster players, probably including goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, and a top prospect or two. That cost doesn’t make much sense for a team that, at best, is re-tooling but could be considered rebuilding. Portzline suggests that another Sabre, Sam Reinhart, has also been linked to the Blue Jackets and would be a better fit in many ways.

Other suitors are expected to include the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, and New York Rangers, but so far those organization have not let any details of their pursuit slip out. There is of course also the chance that Buffalo simply retains Eichel, as a fair return could be very difficult to come by. Until then though, this is a storyline that will continue to dominate the off-season.

Blackhawks Have Shown Interest In Jack Eichel

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There are quite a few teams already that are interested in Jack Eichel and it appears that Chicago can be added to the mix.  Larry Brooks of the New York Post reports that the Blackhawks have now communicated their interest in the 24-year-old to Buffalo.

The fit is definitely an interesting one.  While the hope is that Jonathan Toews will be able to return for next season, the fact he missed all of this year means they can’t definitively count on him for 2021-22.  And while players like Pius Suter and Philipp Kurashev stepped up at times, neither of them are ideal fits in a top-line role, nor is Kirby Dach who missed most of the year after suffering a wrist injury in a pre-tournament game for the World Juniors.  Dylan Strome has shown flashes of upside but wound up a healthy scratch down the stretch so he can’t be relied on in a top role either.

If Toews is able to return, however, fitting three contracts of $10MM or more (Eichel is at $10MM through 2025-26, Toews and Patrick Kane at $10.5MM through 2022-23) may be challenging.  Per CapFriendly, they only have $6.2MM in cap room for next year though that can be extended with placing Brent Seabrook and Andrew Shaw ($10.775MM combined) on LTIR.  Even so, they do have a couple of notable restricted free agents to re-sign in Suter and defenseman Nikita Zadorov and both players have arbitration eligibility; their new deals will cut into that cap space.

As for Buffalo, there are a couple of intriguing potential trade chips from Chicago.  They’ve been believed to be seeking a high draft pick and the Blackhawks have the 11th-overall pick in next month’s draft.  That would likely need to be included in there.  It’s also reasonable to think that the Sabres will want a young center in return and Dach, the third-overall selection in 2019, fits the bill.  Put those two pieces together and that’s a pretty strong package to work with; some cap ballast to balance the books would likely be needed as well.

In a recent appearance on WGR 550 (audio link), Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman noted that Buffalo’s preference would be to move the disgruntled center (who is still wanting a new surgery on his neck that team doctors won’t sign off on) to the Western Conference as the league returns to its more traditional alignment for next season.  That would seemingly push Chicago ahead of some suitors from the East and if Dach and the 11th pick are made available, the Blackhawks should definitely be in the mix.  While there is some risk in acquiring Eichel with his neck situation and the uncertainty surrounding Toews, the potential for reward is definitely high as well if both are good to go for 2021-22.

In the meantime, this report comes off the heels of one earlier in the week that had Chicago looking into blueliners Dougie Hamilton and Seth Jones.  It certainly appears as if GM Stan Bowman is going big-game hunting this summer.

Snapshots: Eichel, Schmidt, Warsofsky

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Things haven’t really changed in the Jack Eichel sweepstakes, other than to say that talks are progressing with teams around the league. Darren Dreger of TSN was on WGR 550 in Buffalo today, explaining the current situation:

What we know is that the discussions on Jack Eichel have increased over the last week. To a point where I’m pretty comfortable in saying that Jack will be traded. What we don’t know is where. There are a number of suitors, a number of teams that would love to have a healthy Jack Eichel–put an asterisk beside that because we don’t know yet what direction that part of the scenario is headed. But any team that needs a center, I think of the Columbus Blue Jackets, Anaheim to some degree. 

Dreger reiterates that the Sabres aren’t just dumping Eichel and will still demand a high price in return. He’s not the first NHL insider to imply that a deal is inevitable in Buffalo, with Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet recently saying that the Sabres want to move on and Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic writing that talks were getting “more intense and serious.” It looks like a resolution to the saga is coming and coming fast.

  • It wasn’t great news for Boston University today as 2021 draft prospect Roman Schmidt decided to sign with the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL. That ends his NCAA eligibility and means the 6’6″ defenseman will not be attending BU as expected in 2021-22. Schmidt, who played minor hockey in the Toronto area before joining the U.S. National Team Development Program, was ranked 58th among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
  • David Warsofsky, who spent the 2020-21 season with the Chicago Wolves of the AHL, has signed with ERC Ingolstadt of the DEL. The 31-year-old has 55 career NHL games but is a strong minor league defenseman, recording 19 points in 22 games for the Wolves this year.

Morning Notes: Eichel, Hyman, Schmaltz

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It was clear that teams are calling the Buffalo Sabres about captain Jack Eichel, but Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic writes that conversations are getting “more intense and serious” even though the playoffs are still going on. LeBrun lists the Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers as teams that make sense, though doesn’t suggest who has reached out at this point.

In return, the Sabres appear to be focused on receiving a top draft pick in this year’s class. LeBrun mentions that a 2021 first-round pick will be in any package, while Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet wrote that if Eichel or teammate Sam Reinhart are to be traded, “do not be surprised if the Sabres end up with a second high first-round selection.” The team already has first overall, but could be walking to the (virtual) podium twice if they get their way.

  • One other player who may surprisingly be on the market is Zach Hyman, the Toronto Maple Leafs forward that has long been expected to re-sign with his hometown team. Not so fast, as James Mirtle of The Athletic writes that no progress has been made to this point and that it “feels downright unlikely” that an extension will be signed. Hyman very well could have played too well for the Maple Leafs, making his value more than the team will be able to afford in a flat cap world. The 29-year-old winger scored 15 goals and 33 points in 43 regular season games this year, but did suffer another knee injury and looked less than full-strength in the playoffs. Hyman’s gritty play style is one that almost every team in the league would covet, especially if he can continue to produce 20-goal seasons moving forward.
  • Jordan Schmaltz is on his way to Europe, signing a one-year deal with HIFK in Finland. The 25th overall pick in 2012, Schmaltz has only played 42 NHL games to this point and is now 27. After bouncing around in the minor leagues the last few seasons, it appears as though he’ll try his hand at a new brand of hockey overseas.

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