Speculation: Jack Eichel cont'd

[Agent Zuuuub]

I would trade Eichel for Eklund plus a 1st and 2nd, at this point. The idea San Jose doesn't do the trade straight up is funny.

It's not. Sharks feel they just got the #1 prospect in the draft, an organization that hasn't had this tier of prospect in a long time. And he's already slotted in to the NHL.

I can understand Eichel deserves a big return but based on his injuries no way do you risk an Eklund over it.

 

[Rec T]

The Ducks make the most sense and have always been linked. I get the sense it's all around Drysdale.

The Ducks have only made the most sense for Buffalo fans because the Ducks have both the good young players & the ability to absorb Eichel's contract without sending a whole bunch of salary back.

However the other side of the coin is that the trade would be horrible for the Ducks side of things. They are solidly into their rebuild (the past couple of games would have me saying that they're further along than I would have thought they were two weeks ago). There is ZERO reason to gut their team/rebuild for one player who, even if he comes back 100% healthy & just as productive (unlikely, but we can run with that for argument's sake), isn't going to make up for all the players that Buffalo is demanding. So the trade would set the rebuild back at least a couple of years... and they'd be competitive again right about the time Eichel's contract is about up. If they really wanted to they could remain a lousy team without paying $40 million or so to do so.

'If' Buffalo was willing to take one good prospect (not named Zegras, Drysdale, or McT) & a small handful of B level along with a conditional 2024 1st (depending on Eichel's health/production), maybe it would be worth looking at. Anything more than that though & it would be dumb to screw up their future on the roll of the dice that Eichel is at the moment.

 

[Frosty415]

It's not. Sharks feel they just got the #1 prospect in the draft, an organization that hasn't had this tier of prospect in a long time. And he's already slotted in to the NHL.

I can understand Eichel deserves a big return but based on his injuries no way do you risk an Eklund over it.

Pretty much this.

If Eklund is involved, pass on Eichel.. sorry if that offends you Sabres fans

 

[Jim Bob]

The Ducks have only made the most sense for Buffalo fans because the Ducks have both the good young players & the ability to absorb Eichel's contract without sending a whole bunch of salary back.

The tricky part is that the Sabres do need to get a bunch of cap back after moving Eichel to remain above the cap floor.

One scenario on that front that makes sense is PK Subban given that he has a $9.5M cap hit and a $2M base salary this season.

 

[TommyDangles]

Pretty much this.

If Eklund is involved, pass on Eichel.. sorry if that offends you Sabres fans

How about

Thomas Bordeleau
Ozzy Weisblatt
Hertl (if he's not interested in resigning)
2nd round pick

Sabres flip Hertl to another team for pick + prospect. San Jose gets a conditional pick if Hertl resigns with that team.

 

[LongWayDown37]

Unless you're a legit contender, most teams would prefer Eklund with his high upside, favorable contract situation.

No they wouldn't.

 

[Doug Prishpreed]

No they wouldn't.

Teams may not even want to part with a first round pick straight up for Eichel, so no idea how you can possibly say this. Take the homer glasses off. I'm a Sabres fan too but not blind to reality.

 

[PAZ]

I would trade Eichel for Eklund plus a 1st and 2nd, at this point. The idea San Jose doesn't do the trade straight up is funny.

You realize San Jose values Eklund about the same as Buffalo valued Eichel right after they drafted him, right?

 

[Snippit]

You realize San Jose values Eklund about the same as Buffalo valued Eichel right after they drafted him, right?

There's no way. They were not in the same stratosphere as prospects.

 

[Fatass]

You realize San Jose values Eklund about the same as Buffalo valued Eichel right after they drafted him, right?

Eklund now v Eichel now is kind of more important. I'm thinking a top young guy like Eklund is more valuable to the Sharks than Jack right now. Eklund is contributing on his ELC for 3 years. Jack will be 10 mil per for those three years. That's an important distinction.

 

[PAZ]

There's no way. They were not in the same stratosphere as prospects.

They are not, but to their respective organization they were both completely untouchable prospects - outside a select few players. Raw talent isn't the only category a team uses to determine the value to them.

 

[DavidBL]

Another thought I had from an Anaheim perspective is that they have Keslers LTIR deal that could be included. With insurance it would cost much money and give nearly 7 mill in cap space. Not sure how Anaheim feels about actual budget for something like that. My sense is that they'd rather move a longer term salary.

 

[Boxscore]

You realize San Jose values Eklund about the same as Buffalo valued Eichel right after they drafted him, right?

Then again, the Sharks supposedly offered Tavares $13 mil per on the open market. So they're not the best judge of talent.

 

[PAZ]

Another thought I had from an Anaheim perspective is that they have Keslers LTIR deal that could be included. With insurance it would cost much money and give nearly 7 mill in cap space. Not sure how Anaheim feels about actual budget for something like that. My sense is that they'd rather move a longer term salary.

There's been reports that insurance is covering 80% of Kesler's salary, so it's only costing them $1.3 mil. I don't think they'd be willing to give up any value just to move Kesler in his final year.

 

[Frosty415]

Then again, the Sharks supposedly offered Tavares $13 mil per on the open market. So they're not the best judge of talent.

Hilarious hot take lmao

Who knew that holding on to a high draft pick would make you people seethe

 

[Saskatoon]

Yea I think people aren't quite reading it right. Its not that Eichel isn't worth Eklund. He absolutely is - but the Sharks are not in a position organizationally to trade Eklund. Maybe if the Sabers took a bad contract like Kane or Vlasic but even still unlikely.

I feel like if DW was offering Eklund they would have came to a deal already.

 

[fasterthanlight]

It's not that Eklund is, value wise, the same as Eichel. I think sharks fans are attached to Eklund because he represents a hopeful future rather than our disappointing last few years.

 

[smoneil]

Is there a point where the league/players' association step in? I don't think I've ever seen a surgery-related standoff like this before. The team, by the rules, has last say about which surgery, but you can't force a player to go under the knife. Is insurance covering Eichel's salary, since it's a situation where he can get better, but there's a labor dispute holding them up?

The whole thing (not to Sabres fans obviously, but they've at least got something to be happy about with the way they started the season) is oddly fascinating from a sports/legal standpoint.

 

[lwvs84]

I think the problem for Buffalo is that most of the teams that can afford to and have the pieces the Sabers and their fans want aren't desperate for Eichel. None of them are an Eichel away from being contenders (some probably not even playoff teams). Sabers are trying to sell an Eichel that will come back at 100%, while the teams that are after him want him if they can get him cheap. A happy and healthy Eichel definitely lands you a Zegras/Drysdale/Eklund plus more. The problem is he's neither one of those. He's going to cost $50 million for 4 years (because he's probably not playing at all this year or not until one of those rumored teams is out of the playoff race). He's also unhappy about losing... something that almost assuredly is going to happen in Anaheim/San Jose/etc. If a contender (Vegas or Avs) make a push, they might be willing to take a bigger risk and offer more. They have their core already and would be more willing to deal futures/unprotected 1st and take the risk. Eichel would be in a winning environment, which potentially takes away the unhappy part of it and their doctors can look at his charts to see how much of a risk it will be. If Buffalo feels he is going to be 100% healthy and come back, start showing that the team is ready to start winning. They have had a good start this year without Eichel, make moves and keep winning so when he gets back, the team can make a playoff push then keep him. There is no way Sabers are getting back anything close to full value of a healthy Eichel, so it might be their best bet to get out of the rebuild.

 

[DavidBL]

There's been reports that insurance is covering 80% of Kesler's salary, so it's only costing them $1.3 mil. I don't think they'd be willing to give up any value just to move Kesler in his final year.

Who, Buffalo or Anaheim? Buffalo needs enough cap to hit the floor. Kesler does that cheaply vs someone like Henrique.

 

[dire wolf]

You realize San Jose values Eklund about the same as Buffalo valued Eichel right after they drafted him, right?

Oh good grief. Eichel was viewed as almost McDavid level and a "generational" talent at the time of the draft. Eklund is a great player for sure, but he was drafted 7th in a much, much weaker draft. Nobody - including San Jose - values him the same as Buffalo valued Eichel in 2015.

 

[Bizz]

Here's the thing about Eklund: he isn't in need of a potentially extremely risky neck surgery that has the potential to become career altering.

 

[Bizz]

Oh good grief. Eichel was viewed as almost McDavid level and a "generational" talent at the time of the draft. Eklund is a great player for sure, but he was drafted 7th in a much, much weaker draft. Nobody - including San Jose - values him the same as Buffalo valued Eichel in 2015.

he was only drafted 7th because 6 other teams have bad GMs running their clubs.

 

[tomd]

he was only drafted 7th because 6 other teams have bad GMs running their clubs.

Wasn't this the same GM that insanely overpaid to acquire EK65 and then paid him a ridiculous contract after he arrived? That GM?

 

[Bizz]

Wasn't this the same GM that insanely overpaid to acquire EK65 and then paid him a ridiculous contract after he arrived? That GM?

you mean the same EK65 that has absolutely dominated this season in the first 2 games and the preseason games he played in?

Yes.