Confirmed with Link: [BUF/VGK] Jack Eichel & 3rd-2023(BUF) FOR Peyton Krebs, Alex Tuch, 1st-2022(VGK) & 2nd-2023(VGK)

[Ralonzo]

Sorry, been rummaging through closet looking for that Erik Rasmussen nameplate to change it back.

This has been an odd season, just moved and lost track of the Sabres really… and just didn’t care enough to do anything about it.

Saw the trade come across on The Athletic and felt… nothing. Saw the return and didn’t feel strongly one way or another.

Did they finally break me? Can it be rekindled, as the Bills have done? Will I live long enough for Just One Before I Die? Will the world?

That or repeated spins of “Hushed And Grim” have altered my EEG beyond this reality.

 

[BowieSabresFan]

Eh, I obviously don't think that it was the breaking point, but it seemed to be a factor in pushing this over the line. The fact the deal was announced within two hours of the interview happening isn't a coincidence. He was doing several interviews, and I'm sure he was going to talk about how the Sabres org was preventing him of getting treatment.

Adam's had not flinched at all, at any point. No interview was going to have an influence on his decision. I'll leave it at that.

 

[BuffaloGooner]

So, I went to Spotify and search After The and the first thing that came up.....

Kinda wish Gionta gave a little more insight to the inner workings of those early day. Especially with the rumors that the younger players basically big timed the veterans in the room

 

[WeDislikeEich]

I wonder how long Eichel has actually wanted out. We know that he’s wanted out since at least before the 2020 season - only what, 2 or 3 years after signing an 8yr deal which was reportedly what he wanted (remember the comments about how he only wanted a max term deal?) - but I wonder if it goes back to before the 2019 season?

Does anyone remember Eichel’s agent issuing that statement before the 2019 season where he said “Jack Eichel will report to training camp” ?

It makes me wonder if him reporting to camp was in question, and if so, why.

 

[BFLO]

New things we've learned

• Eichel asked for a trade during the summer of 2020, and the Sabres convinced him to keep it quiet and give it one more chance by signing Hall. Eichel played through some nagging injuries and had a bad season and then suffered the neck injury.
• Eichel was willing to get the ADR surgery and play again for buffalo to bolster his trade value, but did not want to be a Sabre anymore.
• Retaining Salary was a non-starter for Pegula. Another petulant/vindictive financial decision just like what happened with ROR. He didn't want to pay eichel or ror another cent regardless of how much it hurt their trade value.

 

[tsujimoto74]

New things we've learned

• Eichel asked for a trade during the summer of 2020, and the Sabres convinced him to keep it quiet and give it one more chance by signing Hall. Eichel played through some nagging injuries and had a bad season and then suffered the neck injury.
• Eichel was willing to get the ADR surgery and play again for buffalo to bolster his trade value, but did not want to be a Sabre anymore.
• Retaining Salary was a non-starter for Pegula. Another petulant/vindictive financial decision just like what happened with ROR. He didn't want to pay eichel or ror another cent regardless of how much it hurt their trade value.

No team with >2 brain cells in its front office would want to retain on a 5 year contract

 

[joshjull]

No team with >2 brain cells in its front office would want to retain on a 5 year contract

Plus those who think retaining makes sense are under the delusion retaining a small amount (1-2mil) will land us enormous returns.

 

[Jim Bob]

LeBrun: What 9 NHL executives think of the Jack Eichel trade to Vegas

Pretty much only one of the execs went in on Adams not moving him at the draft.

Winners and losers as the Jack Eichel Derby comes to an end

Loser: Alex Tuch

Tuch said that "being from Upstate New York, it's been a dream of mine to put on the Sabres jersey." Problem No. 1. Upstate New York ain't Western New York, sir. Problem No. 2: One assumes winning the Stanley Cup was also a dream, and he's just going to have to reset the clock on that one.

Wysh needs a geography lesson.



Grading the Jack Eichel trade: Sabres whiff on franchise-altering deal

I was speaking with an NHL general manager the other day about the Jack Eichel Derby. He told me that he wanted in, despite some reservations about the cap hit and the cost. But his desires were immaterial: The team's medical staff had made it clear that it would not allow Eichel to have the disk replacement surgery he desired; like the Sabres' medical staff, his team's staff felt disk fusion surgery was the best option.

"Even if I wanted him, I couldn't get him," was the executive's lament.

A general manager's return on a trade is going to be only as good as the market to acquire that player. It's not about being a silver-tongued salesman. It's about leverage. The Sabres had little of it here, unfortunately.

"Because of the cap hit and the injury, Eichel's market wasn't what it would have been," one NHL general manager told ESPN on Thursday.

So, we know that at least one other NHL team wanted no part in Eichel getting ADR.

 

[JThorne]

When are people going to wise up to the fact that retaining on 5 years is foolish? 5 years is an eternity in the NHL. And good teams are near the cap(or over if you're Tampa). If the team hasn't gotten close in the next 5 years, THEN complain.

Nobody here is Karnak.

 

[TehDoak]

Adam's had not flinched at all, at any point. No interview was going to have an influence on his decision. I'll leave it at that.

you honestly think Adams had the final say on this?

 

[Paxon]

Too bad we didn't trade him before he got injured, eh? That's life I guess.

 

[BFLO]

No team with >2 brain cells in its front office would want to retain on a 5 year contract

Plus those who think retaining makes sense are under the delusion retaining a small amount (1-2mil) will land us enormous returns.

I don't think the Sabres will ever be competitive with the $9million anchor of Jeff Skinner dragging them down until 2026-27. Best option is to weaponize cap for futures for the duration of the Skinner contract. Retention on Eichel would be off the books a year before Skinner is off the books.

 

[tsujimoto74]

I don't think the Sabres will ever be competitive with the $9million anchor of Jeff Skinner dragging them down until 2026-27. Best option is to weaponize cap for futures for the duration of the Skinner contract. Retention on Eichel would be off the books a year before Skinner is off the books.

Just because we already have essentially dead cap space doesn't mean we should double down and make that problem worse. I'm also firmly with JJ in thinking that no one would've anted what that cap space was truly worth in addition to the cost of acquiring Eichel.

 

[TehDoak]

No team with >2 brain cells in its front office would want to retain on a 5 year contract

the maple leafs retained 1.2 million in Phil Kessel for 7 years. And they are considered one of the best analytical front offices.

 

[Jimmybarndoor2]

the maple leafs retained 1.2 million in Phil Kessel for 7 years. And they are considered one of the best analytical front offices.

And they had a game where they used a goalie that was amateur because they did not have salary cap to call up goalie

 

[joshjull]

the maple leafs retained 1.2 million in Phil Kessel for 7 years. And they are considered one of the best analytical front offices.

I’m pretty sure they’re regretting it the last few years.

 

[GameMisconduct]

I’m pretty sure they’re regretting it the last few years.

And also, who is their equivalent of being saddled with the Jeff Skinner contract.

 

[joshjull]

And also, who is their equivalent of being saddled with the Jeff Skinner contract.

Marner

 

[GameMisconduct]

Marner

 

[Mattilaus]

the maple leafs retained 1.2 million in Phil Kessel for 7 years. And they are considered one of the best analytical front offices.

How has that worked out for them results-wise?

 

[tsujimoto74]

the maple leafs retained 1.2 million in Phil Kessel for 7 years. And they are considered one of the best analytical front offices.

Not sure Toronto is the team you want to cite for well-managed cap.

 

[WeDislikeEich]

LeBrun: What 9 NHL executives think of the Jack Eichel trade to Vegas

Pretty much only one of the execs went in on Adams not moving him at the draft.

Winners and losers as the Jack Eichel Derby comes to an end



Wysh needs a geography lesson.



Grading the Jack Eichel trade: Sabres whiff on franchise-altering deal



So, we know that at least one other NHL team wanted no part in Eichel getting ADR.

All the people saying “Kevyn Adams should have just let Eichel get the ADR surgery” need to read this.

It was never Adams decision and he can’t override the team doctors even if he wanted to.

 

[WeDislikeEich]

I don't think the Sabres will ever be competitive with the $9million anchor of Jeff Skinner dragging them down until 2026-27. Best option is to weaponize cap for futures for the duration of the Skinner contract. Retention on Eichel would be off the books a year before Skinner is off the books.

so you think the Sabres should just stop trying to field a competitive roster for the next 6 years because they have one player that’s grossly overpaid?

The Sabres are barely above the cap floor. If they can’t field a competitive roster because of one $9M cap hit they should just fold the damn franchise.

Plenty of other teams have bad contracts on their books. It’s isn’t a reason to not try and field the best roster possible with the rest of their cap space.

 

[BFLO]

Just because we already have essentially dead cap space doesn't mean we should double down and make that problem worse. I'm also firmly with JJ in thinking that no one would've anted what that cap space was truly worth in addition to the cost of acquiring Eichel.

$9million in dead cap until 2026-27 is insurmountable. Adding more dollars to the dead cap through 2026-27 doesn't make the problem any more or less insurmountable, but it does add assets that can be useful once the dead cap is gone.

The goal is still a cup for me. Saving cap room so we can buy UFAs to try squeaking into the playoffs once or twice between now and 2026-27 is not the goal.

 

[tsujimoto74]

$9million in dead cap until 2026-27 is insurmountable. Adding more dollars to the dead cap through 2026-27 doesn't make the problem any more or less insurmountable, but it does add assets that can be useful once the dead cap is gone.

The goal is still a cup for me. Saving cap room so we can buy UFAs to try squeaking into the playoffs once or twice between now and 2026-27 is not the goal.

The team isn't going to punt the better part of another decade away because of Skinner.