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Jack Eichel

Latest On Jack Eichel

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The Buffalo Sabres and Jack Eichel appear to be headed toward a split, even though things have quieted down since the team’s year-end media availability. At that point, Eichel was telling reporters that there was a “disconnect” between his camp and GM Kevyn Adams’ front office regarding his neck injury and it seemed like he already had one foot out the door. Well, that may still be the case, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet spoke to WGR 550 in Buffalo today and explained:

That’s the poker game we’re playing right now. Other teams are saying ’you’ve got an unhappy player who doesn’t want to come back’ and the Sabres I really think at the end of the day want to move on. They don’t want him back, they want to move on. The teams are going to play Buffalo’s “desperation” at that. The Sabres have to play a game that says ’okay, you guys can play that game, but somebody is going to get him. If you play it too cool or you play us too hardline, it won’t be you.’

Friedman also noted that some teams are even calling him to see what he knows about Eichel’s injury, given how little information the Sabres have released publicly to this point. The neck injury is a huge sticking point in the trade market, given the uncertainty over whether he will still require surgery and miss part of next season.

Of course, there is also the factor of a long-term contract that carries a cap hit of $10MM. That’s not an easy deal to swallow for any team, even if they can technically fit it at the moment. If Eichel can’t return to the player that scored 36 goals and 78 points in 2019-20, his contract quickly becomes an anchor. A trade will require a team that believes that he can get back to that level, and has the assets the Sabres will want in return. Even if Buffalo wants to move on, Adams will need to maximize the return as much as he can for a player who was seen as a franchise icon to this point.

Poll: How Should The Seattle Kraken Approach The No. 2 Overall Pick?

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The Seattle Kraken will be much more than just an idea with one undrafted junior player on their roster by the time the 2021 NHL Entry Draft rolls around. The club will have added at least 30 players to their arsenal by way of the Expansion Draft several days earlier. Seattle is not expected to have the same advantage in making side deals like the Vegas Golden Knights did in 2017, as the other 30 teams have learned their lesson. However, one major advantage they will have compared to Vegas is in the Entry Draft. Picking No. 2 overall after moving up in the draft lottery, the Kraken will pick four spots higher than the Knights, who slid to No. 6 overall in their lottery. While Vegas’ first ever draft pick, Cody Glass, is still fighting for regular play time on the NHL roster four years later, Seattle has a chance to add a player who can contribute right away in their inaugural season – one way or another.

The results of the Expansion Draft are unlikely to change the Kraken’s draft plans. They will have several days between the submission of Expansion Draft protection lists and the draft itself and to map out their plan of attack and to talk trade with the rest of the league. Sure, they could find that there are some unexpected trade options that could allow them to add other picks and prospects ahead of the draft, but unlikely anything that will change their opinion on how best to use the No. 2 pick. Only the Buffalo Sabres at first overall could potentially throw Seattle a curveball. Otherwise, their plan should be set well ahead of July 23.

So what should Seattle do with the second overall pick? It is a critical pick that will undoubtedly impact the new franchise for years to come. What is the best approach?

Take The Best Available Player – Pretty straightforward, right? The Kraken should take the best player remaining on their board after Buffalo makes their selection. Regardless of the positional value or any perceived positional needs following the Expansion Draft, Seattle should simply take the prospect that they feel has the highest ceiling and most realistic pro ambitions. While there is no consensus top prospect in this draft, many feel that University of Michigan defenseman Owen Power is that top prospect. If the Kraken agree and Buffalo goes elsewhere at No. 1, they pull the trigger.

Take The Best Available Center – Center is the position that many point to as the most important in the NHL and feel that a true No. 1 center is the hardest player to find. At No. 2 overall and Power potentially going first to Buffalo, Seattle could conceivably have their pick of every forward in the draft class to find that future top center. That could very well be Power’s Wolverines teammate Matthew Beniers. Even if Beniers or another center isn’t the best player on their board, Seattle shouldn’t pass up on the opportunity to add an elite prospect down the middle.

Take The Best Available Defenseman – Some live by the team-building mantra of building from the net out. While goalie Jesper Wallstedt is an elite prospect, he isn’t going No. 2 overall. However, the Kraken could instead choose to bolster their blue line with an elite prospect. Even if Power is off the board and there are forwards ranked higher on their draft board, Seattle needs to target one of the small group of blue chip defenders in the draft class, such as Brandt Clarke or Luke Hughes.

Trade Back And Add Picks – Starting a pipeline from scratch is about quantity over quality, right? The No. 2 overall pick is nice, but if Seattle isn’t able to acquire any other top picks in Expansion Draft deals, they would be better off trading back and adding picks. The New Jersey Devils at No. 4 and Columbus Blue Jackets at No. 5, both with extra first-rounders, seem like enticing trade partners. All three of Clarke, Hughes, or Wallstedt could still be available at either of those picks.

Trade For Established Star – Seattle doesn’t want a slow build-up. They want to compete right away like Vegas, but they won’t be able to so easily dupe the rest of the league in the Expansion Draft. Perhaps they should use the No. 2 overall pick as part of a deal to pry a star from a rebuilding team. Jack Eichel? Dylan Larkin? Logan Couture? Patrik Laine or Seth Jones?

What do you think? Which direction should GM Ron Francis and company go with the franchise’s first pick and the second pick of the 2021 NHL Draft?

Snapshots: Eichel, Petry, O’Ree

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Even as the Buffalo Sabres conduct their coaching search, GM Kevyn Adams continues to receive trade calls from other teams around the league. Darren Dreger of TSN tweets that the team has received interest on “a number of players, including Jack Eichel,” though that should come as no surprise.

The Sabres of course also have the first overall pick in this year’s draft to worry about, plus four other picks in the first three rounds. This will be a huge offseason for the organization if they stand any hope of turning things around.

  • After leaving last night’s game against the Winnipeg Jets, Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry is listed as a game-time decision for tonight’s game four. Tony Marinaro of TSN690 tweets that Petry dislocated two fingers in his right hand, but won’t need surgery until after the playoffs. There was footage of Petry getting his hand caught in the camera hole in the glass last night.
  • The league announced the three finalists for the Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award today. Renee Hess, Kevin Hodgson and Howard Smith are the three finalists and the winner will be determined by a fan vote plus weighted votes from O’Ree himself, the NHL and the sponsor MassMutual. Each of the nominees is an individual who, through the sport of hockey, has positively impacted his or her community, culture or society.

West Notes: Wild Offseason, Perron, Lehner

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The Minnesota Wild seem to be a team on the way up. The team may have lost in Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs to the Vegas Golden Knights, but put together an interesting season in which they should continue to get better.

The Athletic’s Michael Russo (subscription required) writes that the team expects to have a busy offseason, which includes dealing with the challenges of the expansion draft as well as re-signing restricted free agents Kirill Kaprizov, Joel Eriksson Ek and Kevin Fiala. While all three should get significant raises, trading one of them is always a possibility. In fact, Russo suggests the team could consider packaging Fiala in a deal to upgrade at the center position in a bold move, even suggesting that the Wild could be serious bidders for Buffalo’s Jack Eichel.

  • In a Q&A with St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong, beat writer Lou Korac writes that the Blues are focused on getting an extension worked out with veteran winger David Perron. The 33-year-old has only gotten better as he’s gotten older. After a 16-goal season with Vegas back in 2017-18, he has been a key contributor for the Blues since signing with them. He scored 23 goals in 2018-19, 25 goals in 2019-20 and posted a 19-goal, 58-point campaign this year in 56 games. “He’s passionate about the game,” said Armstrong. “He works at the game, he’s evolved with the game, his puck-protection skills are top level. His ability to create offense for himself is top level. He goes to the harder areas. He’s here next year and as long as he wants to play, I don’t know why the St. Louis Blues wouldn’t want him.”
  • In a somewhat surprising development, The Athletic’s Jesse Granger reports that Robin Lehner, not Marc-Andre Fleury, is expected to be in net tonight for Game 1 against the Colorado Avalanche. Many expected Fleury to get the nod for an eighth-straight game. The veteran was dominant against the Minnesota Wild with a 1.71 GAA and a .931 save percentage in those seven games. Of course, Lehner is also considered a top goaltender for the Golden Knights. The 29-year-old finished the season with a 2.29 GAA and a .913 save percentage in 19 regular season games. Head coach Peter DeBoer did something similar a year ago, allowing Fleury to start Game 1 against the Dallas Stars in the conference finals. Fleury played well, but Vegas lost, which prompted DeBoer to play Lehner for the rest of the season. Could we see a reverse move made this year?

2021 King Clancy Trophy Nominees Announced

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The NHL has announced the 31 nominees for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy, annually presented to “the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.” Last year’s winner was Matt Dumba of the Minnesota Wild.

Each team submits one nominee. This year’s are:

Anaheim: Cam Fowler

Arizona: Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Boston: Charlie Coyle

Buffalo: Jack Eichel

Calgary: Mikael Backlund

Carolina: Jordan Staal

Chicago: Connor Murphy

Colorado: Pierre-Edouard Bellemare

Columbus: Cam Atkinson

Dallas: Esa Lindell

Detroit: Dylan Larkin

Edmonton: Kyle Turris

Florida: Sergei Bobrovsky

Los Angeles: Trevor Moore

Minnesota: Mats Zuccarello

Montreal: Jonathan Drouin

Nashville: Pekka Rinne

New Jersey: P.K. Subban

NY Islanders: Anders Lee

NY Rangers: Chris Kreider

Ottawa: Thomas Chabot

Philadelphia: Scott Laughton

Pittsburgh: Sidney Crosby

San Jose: Kurtis Gabriel

St. Louis: Ryan O’Reilly

Tampa Bay: Alex Killorn

Toronto: John Tavares

Vancouver: Tyler Motte

Vegas: Marc-Andre Fleury

Washington: Garnet Hathaway

Winnipeg: Blake Wheeler

Latest On Jack Eichel

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May 12: Two days later, GM Adams spoke with the media and confirmed that Eichel’s camp requested a surgery–which Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet identified as cervical disk replacement–but that the Sabres doctors are not comfortable with it because it has never been done on an NHL player. Adams also explained that Eichel has not asked for a trade, though admitted that some players told him in their exit interviews that they would be “open to anything” when asked if they want to be a part of the Sabres’ future.

May 10: After a few explosive media availabilities with Rasmus Ristolainen, Sam Reinhart, and others this morning, Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel poured some gas on the offseason hot stove. The star forward not only left open the idea of a trade, but suggested to reporters including John Vogl of The Athletic that he and the Sabres cannot agree on the best way to treat his neck injury. Eichel suffered a herniated disk and explained that it’s not only up to him on whether to have surgery:

It doesn’t work like that. I wish. …I’m under contract with this team and they definitely hold a lot of cards on what I can and can’t do. 

Eichel, 24, played just 21 games this season, scoring two goals and 18 points. It was by far the most disappointing season he has had from a production standpoint, but the outcome for the Sabres—finishing last—has become far too familiar. Despite Eichel’s strong offense throughout the early part of his career, he is now six seasons in without suiting up for a single playoff game.

Though there will be teams interested in acquiring Eichel, a trade involving a player like him is not easy. He has five more years under contract and carries a $10MM cap hit, tied for the 11th-highest number in the NHL. If he is also going to get surgery on his neck at some point, that makes a trade all the riskier for any acquiring team.

The New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings have been listed as the most likely candidates in the past, given how many young assets they have gathered over the last few years. Serious interest has never been confirmed though and there are likely to be other teams that get involved if Eichel is put on the market.

An Eichel trade has been the story for the last several offseasons in Buffalo, but after the disastrous 2021-22 campaign, seems more likely than ever to actually come to fruition. Now it’s up to GM Kevyn Adams to somehow navigate the minefield of an unhappy franchise icon, hire a full-time coach, and somehow put the Sabres back on the right track.

Poll: Where Will Jack Eichel Begin The 2021-22 Season?

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The Buffalo Sabres didn’t have a great Monday. After Rasmus Ristolainen and Sam Reinhart both sparked some hot stove speculation with their media availability comments, a perturbed Jack Eichel lit the building on fire. Not only did Eichel express frustration at how his medical situation has been handled by the team, but he left the door wide open for trade speculation, saying his focus was on getting healthy and playing hockey “wherever that might be.”

That became the biggest story of the week, even as teams prepare for the upcoming Stanley Cup Playoffs that will begin on Saturday. Eichel’s future has been discussed every offseason since he landed with a franchise in Buffalo that has underperformed for years. Now it seems more likely than ever that the team will trade him by next season, with Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reporting that there was a “contentious exit interview” between the injured star and the organization.

So where will Eichel go?

The most common teams listed as potential suitors are the Los Angeles Kings and New York Rangers but there will be many more teams interested even with the injury concerns. Friedman suggests that the Boston Bruins will likely try, while also listing Philadelphia Flyers, Anaheim Ducks, Ottawa Senators, and Montreal Canadiens as teams that have enough young pieces to get a deal done. Pierre LeBrun said today on TSN’s Insider Trading that the Minnesota Wild are another potential fit. That will not be an exhaustive list of potential buyers if the Sabres truly make Eichel available this offseason.

Of course, there is that injury to worry about. Eichel’s camp seems set on surgical repair for his neck injury, which could scare off some teams, at least from paying the full price. Is trading him under that cloud of uncertainty really in the Sabres’ best interest? Or could Eichel start the year in Buffalo to prove his health and worth?

It’s certainly not clear at this point where he will end up, so give us your thoughts on the situation. Cast a vote below on which team will have Eichel to start the 2021-22 season and make sure to explain yourself in the comment section below.

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

East Notes: Eichel, Beecher, Boston Injuries, Hart

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While Sabres center Jack Eichel continues to rehab his neck injury and wait for a decision on whether or not to have surgery, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported in a recent appearance on WGR 550 (audio link) that Eichel’s preference is to simply have the procedure, one that carries a six-week recovery time.  That would give him plenty of time to rehab and be ready for training camp in the fall.

Where he goes for that camp is going to be one of the storylines to watch for this summer.  Eichel has been in trade speculation for a while now but a trade in-season would have been tough to do for salary cap purposes.  Dreger reports that the Kings are one of the teams that have been interested in the 24-year-old.  They would be an interesting fit as they have young center prospects (including Quinton Byfield, Alex Turcotte, and Gabriel Vilardi) that would need to be part of the deal plus the cap space to afford his $10MM price tag.  Of course, should the Sabres make him available, there will be plenty of other suitors as well.

More from the East Division:

  • The Bruins aren’t expected to try to turn John Beecher pro this summer, suggests Mark Divver of the New England Hockey Journal (Twitter link). His sophomore campaign at Michigan came to an early end due to shoulder surgery and he was limited to just 16 games, recording four goals and four assists.  Accordingly, it makes sense for Boston to want him to stay in college for another year although Divver indicated that if Beecher wants to turn pro, they will oblige that request.
  • Still with Boston, the Bruins were happy to have Tuukka Rask back in the lineup on Thursday for their match-up against the New York Islanders.  However, that appears to be the only addition from the infirmary that they’ll get, as Matt Grzelcyk (upper body), Brandon Carlo (upper body), and Kevan Miller (undisclosed) aren’t expected to return for the team’s next game on Sunday, according to The Boston Globe’s Matt Porter.
  • Flyers goaltender Carter Hart was a late scratch from this afternoon’s contest against Washington with the team tweeting that he has a lower-body injury. Hart has been better this month after a disastrous March, posting a .910 SV% in five games before this setback.  There’s no word yet on how long he’ll miss.

Jack Eichel Done For Season With Herniated Disk

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April 15: At his media availability today with reporters including John Vogl of The Athletic, Sabres GM Kevyn Adams explained that Eichel will be re-examined in early May but for now will continue rehab, not undergo surgery.

April 14: The Buffalo Sabres have actually played better of late, but bad news is coming down about their captain. The team has announced that Jack Eichel will miss the rest of the season due to a herniated disk in his neck. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported that Eichel is expected to need surgery but should be healthy for the start of the 2021-22 season.

You couldn’t script a worse season for Eichel, who came into the year with huge expectations after scoring 36 goals and 78 points in just 68 games during the shortened 2019-20 campaign. He had taken the next step in his career and the front office had rewarded him by bringing in a top free agent, signing Taylor Hall to a one-year $8MM deal specifically to play alongside Eichel. Well, Hall is now in Boston after quickly playing himself off Eichel’s wing and recording just two goals in 37 games, while the Sabres’ captain will finish his season with just 18 points in 21 games played.

The fact that Eichel had just two goals of his own is an incredible dropoff for a player that had 137 through his first five NHL seasons and strongly contributed to the Sabres league-worst record. Now the question becomes whether or not Eichel has played his last game for the Sabres, as trade rumors have followed him in each of the last several offseasons and will only grow in volume after this brutal year.

It has now been nearly six years since the Sabres selected Eichel second overall behind Connor McDavid in 2015. In that time he has yet to even sniff the postseason, with the Sabres finishing no higher than sixth in their division during his career. He’s played through the entire coaching tenures of Dan Bylsma (2015-17), Phil Housley (2017-19), and Ralph Krueger (2019-21) without any real success, despite his own high point totals. The fact that he’s making $10MM per season for the next five years will only increase the trade talk as the Sabres obviously need to go through a real rebuild if they want to compete.

Eichel will turn 25 in October and is now facing a long rehab with plenty of uncertainty surrounding the future of the Sabres. This won’t be the last time his name graces the headlines before the start of 2021-22.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Injury Notes: Gallagher, Tanev, Eichel, Andersen

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Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin spoke with the media today following the passing of the trade deadline and did not parse words when asked about injured star Brendan Gallagher. Bergevin does not believe that Gallagher has a chance to play prior to the conclusion of the regular season, he openly admitted. This would align with the six-week timeframe that Gallagher received after fracturing his thumb this past week. There was some optimism that Gallagher could return before the Canadiens’ season is currently scheduled to end on May 11, but Bergevin either does not see this as realistic or simply will not rush Gallagher back to play regular season games. With the North Division playoff teams all but set, Montreal faces little risk of missing the postseason so the priority with Gallagher is only to get him as healthy as possible for the playoffs.

  • Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ron Hextall had similar things to say about one of his own players today. Hextall told the media that the move to acquire Jeff Carter was at least partially influenced by the belief that Brandon Tanev will not play again in the regular season. He stated that Tanev’s upper-body injury, which landed him on Long-Term Injured Reserve, is a “tough injury to judge” but that he does not believe the rugged forward can return before the playoffs. Tanev has been a scoring presence and a physical presence for the Penguins this year and the team will have to replace his output in a number of areas. Fortunately, Hextall at least noted that Kasperi Kapanen is expected back in 10-14 days and Evgeni Malkin is likely to play again before the end of the regular season.
  • The Buffalo Sabres’ season is obviously lost and the team will not rush injured superstar Jack Eichel back into action to play meaningless games. GM Kevyn Adams spoke to the media today and stated that Eichel has not officially been shut down for the year, but he is at least out for a while longer. The superb center has missed 18 games since suffering a neck injury in early March and has only made “slight improvement” in that time per Adams. He did not rule out Eichel playing in some of the Sabres’ final games, but by that point it seems even more unlikely that the team will see any value in putting him back in the lineup.
  • One GM did share some optimism with the media today regarding a key injury. Toronto’s Kyle Dubas made it clear that he does not consider starting goaltender Frederik Andersen to be done for the season. Andersen’s has been struggling with a nagging injury and to this point there has been no timetable for his return. As a result, Dubas made a major addition in net by trading for David Rittich to pair with the red-hot Jack Campbell, but he did not rule out Andersen taking his job back at some point. Dubas did not try to guess as to whether Andersen would be able to return before the end of the regular season or if he would instead be active for the playoffs, but he simply believes that Andersen will play for the Maple Leafs again this year. For the impending free agent, pushing through the pain to get back on the ice may be Andersen’s last chance of suiting up for Toronto again.

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