Jack Eichel: Trade rumors and speculation

[thewookie1]

Anyone notice he deleted his Twitter as well.

[Mustache of God]

The timing of this release is odd.

If the season starts and jack is still here but on LTIR, does his salary count against the cap to reach the floor?

[Taro T]

  On 7/30/2021 at 8:06 PM, Brawndo said:

Keeping in mind, that Russo’s Sources work directly for the Wild. 

Could it be that the Sabres want more assets in return for salary relief. 

I can see Pegula not wanting to retain salary on Five Years of Eichel’s Deal. See ROR Signing Bonus

I believe the CBA Mandates that any retained salary must be consistent year to year over the length of the contract, but I’ll defer to @Taro T on that. 
 

He additionally mentioned that the Sabres had not shared Eichel’s Medical Records

There are reports His records have been shared to teams that are serious and willing to discuss Top Prospects in an trade.

Not sure what to make of the contrast of those two statements 
 

Russo also mentioned that as of now the Wild are out, but He also said that Guerin is really interested in acquiring Eichel and could jump back into things over the next few weeks. 
 

Russo also mentioned He respects that GMKA is taking the We have Jack signed for 5 years and will not move him unless we get value back approach. 
 

 

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Correct.  If the Sabres retain say 25% of salary they are retaining 25% in each of all remaining years  

  On 7/30/2021 at 9:35 PM, realtruelove said:

Is it possible for the Sabres to re-negotiate Jack's contract to lower the annual amount?  This might make him a more attractive piece and ultimately put him in a better light with potential suiters. Win-win.

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Others have already answered, but no that isn't possible.  To keep the cap hit each year of a contract identical regardless of how much cash is paid out in a particular year, the decision was made to not allow restructuring or otherwise modifying a contract.  The contract may be bought out typically for 2/3's the remaining value but occassionally for 1/3 (very young players) or full price (contracts signed to very old players) each paid out over twice the remaining years on the contract.  (And actual cap hit might be off slightly when the monies paid each year vary.)

Multi-year contracts may be extended during the final year of the deal with the new cap hit taking effect when that contract starts the following season and 1 year deals may be extended after January 1st also w/ the new cap hit taking effect the next year.

[klos1963]

  On 7/31/2021 at 3:24 AM, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

That does not mean the medical staff are incompetent. 

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I'm not referring to the medical staff. More of , who do you believe?  The agents or the Sabres?

[Doohickie]

  On 7/31/2021 at 3:20 AM, klos1963 said:

Is everyone missing the part where the Sabres medical staff agreed that surgery is necessary? 

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That's what his agents said, but it's not what the doctors said.  The deal was:  Chill for 12 weeks and then we'll re-assess the treatment options.  Eiechel's camp twisted that into Chill for 12 weeks and then you can have the (never before performed on an NHL player) disc replacement surgery.

If any surgery is allowed by the Sabres (or probably any other NHL team) doctors, it will likely be vertebrae fusion.

  On 7/31/2021 at 3:26 AM, PromoTheRobot said:

Looooooooong-term IR.

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No.  Suspend him.  If he's on IR, he still gets paid.  Suspend him and fine him for one game's worth of pay for every game he misses once he's cleared to play.

Edited July 31, 2021 by Doohickie

[klos1963]

  On 7/31/2021 at 3:23 AM, thewookie1 said:

My guess that is more conjecture than anything else.

 

Well this certainly tells me that either Eichel is an idiot or at very least his agents are. The GM has dug in his heels on getting proper value for Eichel; shouldn't they be looking to help make a team cough up the assets rather than further suppress his value?

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If they can't get proper value after all this time, Adams should tell the rest of the league to pound sand. They've had enough time. Take a stand and tell Eichel, sorry , no go. I tried. Get ready to suit up.

If not, gotta move him for the best deal available, and they probably blew that already.

[Hoss]

Meanwhile in Calgary 

 

[SDS]

I can’t reconcile the press release saying a surgery is still necessary and Adams entertaining the hypothetical of Jack being in camp. 

 

[I-90 W]

  On 7/31/2021 at 3:27 AM, thewookie1 said:

Anyone notice he deleted his Twitter as well.

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Was this as of today/ tonight? If so it strengthens my theory that Jack was behind the statement and that he is throwing a fit. 

[klos1963]

  On 7/31/2021 at 3:33 AM, SDS said:

I can’t reconcile the press release saying a surgery is still necessary and Adams entertaining the hypothetical of Jack being in camp. 

 

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I have no idea what Adams plan is. I was totally against the idea of trading Eichel, but there is no way that it makes any sense that he stays a Sabre.

[thewookie1]

  On 7/31/2021 at 3:30 AM, klos1963 said:

I'm not referring to the medical staff. More of , who do you believe?  The agents or the Sabres?

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The Sabres in this case. They have been more forthcoming about the information and have the medical backing.

Eichel's camp is literally whining because multiple opinions and the Sabres said no to his risky surgery.

[klos1963]

  On 7/31/2021 at 3:34 AM, I-90 W said:

Was this as of today/ tonight? If so it strengthens my theory that Jack was behind the statement and that he is throwing a fit. 

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He probably wants to get treatment he feels is necessary for his injury. Can't really blame him for that.

[Doohickie]

At this point, the only thing left to do is this

[SDS]

Can Jack get out of his contract and just get the surgery he wants? Or does he want his cake and eat it too?

it seems to me if he’s so confident about his future then he should just do it best for himself and forfeit future money. However, I don’t know what the consequences are. 

[I-90 W]

  On 7/31/2021 at 3:36 AM, klos1963 said:

He probably wants to get treatment he feels is necessary for his injury. Can't really blame him for that.

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Isn’t he skating and posting images of gym equipment on social media? Sounds pretty healthy to me. I’m not downplaying the seriousness of a herniated disc, but his in particular seems to be improving over time based on his own activities.

[Darryl Shannon's +/-]

  On 7/31/2021 at 3:36 AM, klos1963 said:

He probably wants to get treatment he feels is necessary for his injury. Can't really blame him for that.

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He's basically asking for an experimental surgery, and seemed to be doing so very early in the process where wait and see is the medical gold standard.  

I don't blame terry and Kim at all for this....he's asking for 50M guaranteed to toss a piece of plastic into his spinal cord.  

[klos1963]

  On 7/31/2021 at 3:39 AM, I-90 W said:

Isn’t he skating and posting images of gym equipment on social media? Sounds pretty healthy to me. I’m not downplaying the seriousness of a herniated disc, but his in particular seems to be improving over time based on his own activities.

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I don't think any of us are qualified to have a take on his condition. Non contact skating is obviously much different than taking body checks. 

  On 7/31/2021 at 3:40 AM, Darryl Shannon's +/- said:

He's basically asking for an experimental surgery, and seemed to be doing so very early in the process where wait and see is the medical gold standard.  

I don't blame terry and Kim at all for this....he's asking for 50M guaranteed to toss a piece of plastic into his spinal cord.  

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But aren't we well past the 12 week 'waiting period' of physical therapy and rest?  What's the next step if that didn't work?

[Doohickie]

  On 7/31/2021 at 3:36 AM, klos1963 said:

He probably wants to get treatment he feels is necessary for his injury. Can't really blame him for that.

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For the Sabres though, it's risk management:  There are treatments for herniated discs that have been done on NHL players:  Rest and let the disc heal itself, and surgery to fuse the vertebrae around the disc.  The surgery Eichel wants is disc replacement surgery which has not yet been done on an NHL player.  If he has the surgery and subsequently suffers a spinal chord injury in that disc, the Sabres, if they approved the surgery, are liable.  Could you imagine if he ended up a quadriplegic?  They don't want that liability and I don't blame them.

Reportedly Minnesota has said they would allow Jack to get the surgery.  They've done the assessment and decided, I guess, it's worth the risk.

[I-90 W]

  On 7/31/2021 at 3:41 AM, klos1963 said:

I don't think any of us are qualified to have a take on his condition. Non contact skating is obviously much different than taking body checks. 

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True, but from a layman’s perspective, it can’t be as dire as some have made it out to be. I’ve even heard some talking heads and other fans talking about how it could impact his health for the rest of his life. If I remember correctly, Jack himself talked about his long term health as well (in the context of his personal life, not playing).

I had a pinched nerve in my neck two years ago and it was awful. Had carpal tunnel in both hands at the same time. I can assure you, it kept me out of the gym. 

[thewookie1]

  On 7/31/2021 at 3:41 AM, klos1963 said:

I don't think any of us are qualified to have a take on his condition. Non contact skating is obviously much different than taking body checks. 

But aren't we well past the 12 week 'waiting period' of physical therapy and rest?  What's the next step if that didn't work?

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I'm guessing that's what their conjecture is based on; however I'd guess the Sabres want a more traditional fusion surgery. 

[Pimlach]

  On 7/31/2021 at 3:22 AM, klos1963 said:

should we listen to the most incompetent organization in the NHL?

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The Sabres never agreed to the surgery.  Not after the rehab period, not ever.  The agents are playing a game.  They are  trying to force a trade for their boy Jack. 

Do you think the Sabres are doing this to create a problem?   This is risky surgery. 
 

Eichel is under contract and he is not going anywhere until the Sabres get what they want.  Most NHL teams see the risk and they are offering far less than what the Sabres will accept.  Jack can sit out, or play, or rehab, or whatever.  
 

Don’t believe Jack’s  agents. 

Edited July 31, 2021 by Pimlach

[Darryl Shannon's +/-]

  On 7/31/2021 at 3:41 AM, klos1963 said:

I don't think any of us are qualified to have a take on his condition. Non contact skating is obviously much different than taking body checks. 

But aren't we well past the 12 week 'waiting period' of physical therapy and rest?  What's the next step if that didn't work?

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Fusion surgery, which has a track record that 50M future dollars can be banked on.  I would assume if jack waived future liability that he could get his surgery.  Guarantee his camp isn't willing to do that.

[Doohickie]

  On 7/31/2021 at 3:39 AM, SDS said:

Can Jack get out of his contract and just get the surgery he wants? Or does he want his cake and eat it too?

it seems to me if he’s so confident about his future then he should just do it best for himself and forfeit future money. However, I don’t know what the consequences are. 

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That would be a very interesting legal situation.  Consider the outcomes:

1. The surgery is successful and he plays out his contract, either for Buffalo or some team he's been traded to.
2. The surgery is successful but the Sabres still see playing him as a liability and still don't let him play, nor do they trade him for far below his value prior to the surgery.
3. The surgery is successful at first and he plays either for the Sabres or another team and suffers an injury that leaves him a quadriplegic.  Who can sue whom in this case?  That scenario makes my head hurt (and is why the Sabres haven't signed off the surgery).
4. The surgery is successful but because the Sabres didn't authorize it they cancel his contract and he signs a new one with another team.
5. The surgery is less than successful and although he can play, he can't play at the level he could previously.  The Sabres if they still owned his contract, might void it based on the fact that he had the surgery without permission.

I'm sure there are other outcomes I'm sure, but the scenarios make my head hurt.

[klos1963]

  On 7/31/2021 at 3:46 AM, Pimlach said:

The Sabres never agreed to the surgery.  Not after the rehab period, not ever.  The agents are playing a game.  They are  trying to force a trade for their boy Jack. 

Do you think the Sabres are doing his to create a problem?   This is risky surgery. 
 

Eichel is under contract and he is not going anywhere until the Sabres get what they want.  Most NHL teams see the risk and they are offering far less than what the Sabres will accept.  Jack can sit out, or play, or rehab, or whatever.  
 

Don’t believe Jack’s  agents. 

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He's not going to play for the Sabres again. I'm pretty certain of that.  We're already a dumpster fire, they needed to take the best deal available. I don't see how we are not in a worse position today than we were earlier this week.

[LabattBlue]

So Jack against the Sabres wishes, has the disc replacement surgery.  Do the Sabres then void his contract, making him a free agent? Or do they just keep him on the team, LTIR him for now, and see how he recovers?