Jack Eichel: Trade rumors and speculation

[I-90 W]

Just now, darksabre said:

The amount of people who have already turned on him/decided he's the villain, is staggering. 

Just wait til he returns in another jersey, I don’t think he will receive a heroes welcome in Buffalo. 

[Thorner]

5 minutes ago, I-90 W said:

You honestly don’t think that us being perennial cellar dwellers has anything to do with it? I’m rather convinced that Jack is simply finally tapping out because of how awful this organization is. The injury/ surgery spectacle is an easy way out while saving face. 
 

This is human nature; people do it with relationships, employment etc. Very few people simply shrug and admit that they want to leave a long term commitment for greener pastures because some people (such as myself) view that as a character flaw. Others of course don’t care (the YOLO crowd) but there are still some of us dinosaurs left. 

Ya I mean most seem to think it this way, that Eichel is fed up with Buffalo and Adams is reasonably fine with facilitating his departure. Could be. 

For my part, I believe that Eichel would be preparing as normal for the coming season had Adams not identified an Eichel trade as a franchise altering step necessary for his plan. I believe the path here was chosen by Adams, that it's something he decided was his preferred method earlier in the process - maybe even during the time the Pegulas appointed him as our organizational Grima Wormtongue. Dudacek thinks this is because he identified Jack to be a cultural issue, and that could very easily be the case (from KA's perspective), even if from *my* perspective I'll call that a significant error in judgement. 

As I mentioned yesterday, I could put it in the "bold takes" thread as it's something as far as I know only I am harping on here, but there's almost no point as I've mentioned it already plenty: I still think it's possible KA decided to trade Jack because it buys him a long-scale rebuild and the accompanying years of job security the low-expecations of said rebuild buy him.

Wasn't it @PASabreFan who's working on the theory that the tank was Terry's idea? From Pittsburgh? Adams could be smart enough to convince Terry another "long road to contention" path is the most prudent - he may even convince him that it WOULD have worked the first time if that dastardly Tim Murray with his attitude issues didn't try to accelerate that tank rebuild the first time: that would be the rub of Adams plan. This wouldn't be to buy him 3 years, it would be to buy him the time the first rebuild *should* have gotten, something the owners may be all too willing to believe considering it would "prove them right" in retrospect.

Thank you for coming to my ted talk. 

[LGR4GM]

3 minutes ago, darksabre said:

The amount of people who have already turned on him/decided he's the villain, is staggering. 

I agree. 

[darksabre]

2 minutes ago, I-90 W said:

Just wait til he returns in another jersey, I don’t think he will receive a heroes welcome in Buffalo. 

Ugly stuff.

[LGR4GM]

2 minutes ago, I-90 W said:

Just wait til he returns in another jersey, I don’t think he will receive a heroes welcome in Buffalo. 

I'll post it again

 

[Thorner]

5 minutes ago, darksabre said:

The amount of people who have already turned on him/decided he's the villain, is staggering. 

It's the easiest way to process it if you want to make that choice 

[bunomatic]

Just now, darksabre said:

The amount of people who have already turned on him/decided he's the villain, is staggering. 

There’s no villain in this. Its simply a poorly run franchise throwing darts at a board trying to find their way out of the dark. Instead of doing what the smart money says to do they keep doing the opposite. Call it stupidity, ego, whatever but its maddening. 

[darksabre]

2 minutes ago, bunomatic said:

There’s no villain in this. Its simply a poorly run franchise throwing darts at a board trying to find their way out of the dark. Instead of doing what the smart money says to do they keep doing the opposite. Call it stupidity, ego, whatever but its maddening. 

That's generally how I see it.

But I've seen enough of a sample size from the fan base at large to know that way too many people have turned on Jack very quickly. It's sad. 

[JohnC]

41 minutes ago, Thorny said:

But again, I don't believe Jack's disillusionment to be the instigating factor. And even if it was, KA allowed it to be so at his own discretion rather than fostering a solution. 

Sometimes in a relationship there is no solution if one of the parties doesn't want a solution. When it reaches that point of no return it is best to acknowledge it and then move on and leave the rancor behind. The act of departing doesn't have to be a totally negative experience. It can in the end result in a revival for both parties. 

[Digger]

It was only one season ago that the media decided Connor McDavid should be set free from the Oliers because of lack of playoff success.  It was all about poor Connor and he deserves better and a chance to win and that it's better for the NHL for him to play in a better market.  Then the Oilers have a good season (respectable at least) and the rumors of a McDavid trade have died this off season.  I would also imagine that their GM would just say "no he's not available for trade".  But if the team sucked like us and McDavid was limited by injury it might be a different story.

Same situation in Buffalo, if Jack had a healthy season last year and put up first line points and Taylor Hall had performed like a first line winger and we were showing to be a respectable team and trending in the right direction we would not be looking at trading him right now (my opinion).

But that's not the way it went.  There were games last year during the losing streak that were unwatchable.  He's frustrated by injury and blames the team for treatment options.  Then he most likely has his agent telling him to move to another market.  He looks at the success of others that have left the team, overall frustration with constantly firing coaches and GM's.  It's very disappointing that it has gotten to this point.

[Thorner]

^ normally I'd be good with doing the opposite of the Oilers, but I'm not so sure in this case

[dudacek]

38 minutes ago, darksabre said:

That's generally how I see it.

But I've seen enough of a sample size from the fan base at large to know that way too many people have turned on Jack very quickly. It's sad. 

It is.

I don’t see Jack as a villain, I don’t blame him for how things got here, and I don’t see how we get fair value in a trade. But the bridge is burned.

The man who said this cannot be captain of the Buffalo Sabres:

“I mean, listen, my No. 1 interest and my No. 1 goal is Jack Eichel, you know what I mean? You’ve got to look after yourself. You’ve got to look after what’s best for yourself. The organization has a similar job to do, but it’s to look after what’s best for the Buffalo Sabres.“

 

[Randall Flagg]

1 minute ago, dudacek said:

It is.

I don’t see Jack as a villain, I don’t blame him for how things got here, and I don’t see how we get fair value in a trade. But the bridge is burned.

The man who said this cannot be captain of the Buffalo Sabres:

“I mean, listen, my No. 1 interest and my No. 1 goal is Jack Eichel, you know what I mean? You’ve got to look after yourself. You’ve got to look after what’s best for yourself. The organization has a similar job to do, but it’s to look after what’s best for the Buffalo Sabres.“

 

You could feel at this point that the trust was long-shattered, the separation already entrenched, we just haven't gotten the details worked out yet 

[Derrico]

5 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

You could feel at this point that the trust was long-shattered, the separation already entrenched, we just haven't gotten the details worked out yet 

Within the next 24 hours do you think?  Or that day or two window after expansion draft but before entry draft? 

[darksabre]

6 minutes ago, dudacek said:

It is.

I don’t see Jack as a villain, I don’t blame him for how things got here, and I don’t see how we get fair value in a trade. But the bridge is burned.

The man who said this cannot be captain of the Buffalo Sabres:

“I mean, listen, my No. 1 interest and my No. 1 goal is Jack Eichel, you know what I mean? You’ve got to look after yourself. You’ve got to look after what’s best for yourself. The organization has a similar job to do, but it’s to look after what’s best for the Buffalo Sabres.“

 

I think people read way too much into that press conference about his injury. It was a nice piece of theater on Jack's part to try to get the surgery he wants. I understand why he did it and I don't think it's as damaging to the business relationship as everyone else thinks it was. I'm sure Adams and co knew it was coming and weren't concerned one way or another. 

[Stoner]

11 hours ago, SwampD said:

I read this and it makes me think of that question, “when did you stop beating your wife.”

Do we actually know that Adams wants to move Jack? Is there a direct quote I missed?

You and your thanker need to read a little more goodly.

2 hours ago, New Scotland (NS) said:

Punch getting a little Punchy tells me it's going to be a rrreeeaaallll long and hot summer.

You keep saying this, like you want it to be true. I do, too. But folks were given a chance to post BOLD takes and it was Fred Rogers time. It's not in this board's DNA anymore. Little by little, it was pushed down.

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Let me put it this way. If you were on the sinking Titanic, even though you bought a first class ticket, wouldn't you jump ship if literally any other boat was sailing by?

Not if I was the captain. I go down with the ship.

1 hour ago, darksabre said:

Ugly stuff.

Why should he get more than polite applause? And why wouldn't some boos be warranted? We can't have nice things, so we have to built our our decent things into treasured heirlooms? Jack Eichel? Meh.

[dudacek]

1 minute ago, darksabre said:

I think people read way too much into that press conference about his injury. It was a nice piece of theater on Jack's part to try to get the surgery he wants. I understand why he did it and I don't think it's as damaging to the business relationship as everyone else thinks it was. I'm sure Adams and co knew it was coming and weren't concerned one way or another. 

I agree with the above. I’ve even taken the step of suggesting Adams said things in their meeting - which, if you remember went long - that provoked it.

My point is that a captain’s role demands that he put the interests of his teammates and the organization first. And whether the statement was ultimately moot, for me, it was a public point of no return.

[darksabre]

3 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I agree with the above. I’ve even taken the step of suggesting Adams said things in their meeting - which, if you remember went long - that provoked it.

My point is that a captain’s role demands that he put the interests of his teammates and the organization first. And whether the statement was ultimately moot, for me, it was a public point of no return.

That's where we're going to have to agree to disagree then. I think it was a nothingburger. 

[dudacek]

Just now, darksabre said:

That's where we're going to have to agree to disagree then. I think it was a nothingburger. 

Why? Your captain just said the name on the back of the jersey is more important than the logo on the front.

You’re OK with that?

[darksabre]

13 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Why? Your captain just said the name on the back of the jersey is more important than the logo on the front.

You’re OK with that?

He just wants to be back on the ice as fast as possible. I've got no complaints. If his conviction is that the organization has no credibility then maybe he's right. And maybe his teammates agree with him...

 

Edit: I want to add that if decisions about this franchise are being made over something as inconsequential as hurt feelings, we're in big trouble.

Edited July 16, 2021 by darksabre

[LGR4GM]

 

[Thwomp!]

1 minute ago, LGR4GM said:

 

Please trade Risto, finally.

[Stoner]

3 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

 

I've never done the fantasy trade thing. I acknowledge my lack of knowledge. But I don't see how Risto brings back a young defenseman and a high draft pick. That seems nutty. Of course I guess it doesn't say the young defenseman is any good.

Edited July 16, 2021 by PASabreFan

[LGR4GM]

I'd take Brock Faber and St Louis' 2nd rounder for Risto

[SabresVet]

1 hour ago, SwampD said:

Whole lotta assumptions going on in here. Just because they talked, doesn’t mean that KA wants to trade Jack.

Who called whom? Is he calling teams and saying what’ll you give me, or are they calling him and asking what’ll it take to get him? And GMs talk all the time.

I just don’t get why everyone is so eager to get rid of Jack. He’s an unbelievable talent, under a decent contract for 5 more years. Get’m healthy and get him some teammates and start ***** winning. The Sabres need to stop getting rid of their good players.

As the old saying goes..."where there's smoke, there's fire."  The decision to trade at least Eichel was made long ago. 

Still agree with the premise that Adams is intent on rebuilding the team, convinced Terry as much, and in that process is giving himself the longest approach to the finish line he can obtain.  That conflicts with fan sentiment which is also tired of the losing and doesn't want to see another 2-3 seasons of poor play before young players begin producing.