Jack Eichel: Trade rumors and speculation

[Thorner]

The thing about the Dahlin contract is, sure, you can wait till he proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he’s worth a long term deal, but at that point it’ll cost you a lot more. A fair deal? Potentially. But if you do want “bargains” the two main ways you can get them are A) winning team discount (get the band back together yee haw!) and B) placing a long term bet on a player you think will improve substantially throughout the course of the deal. Getting at least a few of these types of discounts, if your bet proves accurate, is key to building a winning team. 

Maybe KA and co don’t feel confident in Dahlin enough to bet on him. Fair enough. But id certainly take it as a huge positive if they did. To me it would mean they thought they had a good shot at value. Locking up Reinhart would have worked out well. They didn’t make the bet at that time 

[Brawndo]

4 hours ago, dudacek said:

It will very interesting to see what kind of attitude Jack brings to camp if he's there.

He'll certainly help his cause if he comes in all business.

John Wawrow tweeted Jack indeed will be at Training Camp for a Physical on Wednesday 

Edited September 19, 2021 by Brawndo

[Curt]

6 hours ago, Buffalonill said:

Why do you want him gone ? Honesty every one here would do the same thing. 

 Let me tell you everyone loves working for a company that is incompetent of being successful 

He is gone, healthy or not, I think.  KA decided as much before he was even injured.

I feel very confident that if he is a Sabre through next July, he would be demanding a trade after his NMC kicks in and the Sabres would be forced into a bad trade with almost no leverage.  That’s why I would me interested in trading him now.

What do you mean by the bolded?  What is it that everyone here would also do if in his shoes?

[JohnC]

3 hours ago, Pimlach said:

I certainly won’t revel in Eichel being wrong, if indeed he is healing by rest and rehab.   He is our single biggest ticket to improving the roster, and NOT by sticking around either with.   Trade him for a few good hockey  players and some futures.  He is not a guy you build around.  He just isn’t.  
 

Back in the 60’s and 70’s  he would get have been traded to the worst team in the league just out of spite.  Since we are already that,  it is up to KA to make his bones on this trade and get the max.  

I hope Jack shows up to camp and shows the rest of the league he is healthy.  In addition I hope he shuts his mouth and plays hockey.   If I’m Granato and Adams I shelter him from interviews.  

 

 

Odds are if Jack heals and gets back on the ice and plays at the level that we have seen him play his trade value increases. On the other hand there is another side to this situation: If he regains his form this Granato coached team because a much better team. You don't think the coach wouldn't want that? The core of Jack's disgruntlement is that he intensely wants to win. And playing for the Sabres has not afforded him that opportunity. It's easy to understand why he is dissatisfied with his situation. 

There are plenty of people who say that he lacks leadership. Well maybe in a classical hockey sense (compared to a player like Okposo)  that is a fair description of him but there are other ways to demonstrate it. He does it through his play. Without question he plays hard, and offensively he is one of the more productive players in the league.  At a different level that represents leadership on the ice through his prolific production. 

If the GM decides to move him he should only do it if the return is commensurate for a top tier player in this league. That means a lot in return! If not, then keep him and do everything you can and as fast as you can to give him more support. My point is don't preclude keeping him if that is the best option. 

 

[Digger]

43 minutes ago, Curt said:

He is gone, healthy or not, I think.  KA decided as much before he was even injured.

I feel very confident that if he is a Sabre through next July, he would be demanding a trade after his NMC kicks in and the Sabres would be forced into a bad trade with almost no leverage.  That’s why I would me interested in trading him now.

I agree that he will be moved once he shows that he's healthy enough to play again and assuming they can get a fair deal in place.

I understand the fear of the NMC kicking in but the reality is that he's still under contract for 4 more years after this one.  If Adams did not have his hand forced this off season I wouldn't worry about next off season.  It would be a concern in the final year of his contract where he could control his destiny in a trade destination but while he is under contract the Sabres still control where he plays.  He has no more power next off season of forcing a trade than he did this off season.  It's a hypothetical situation anyway.

Edited September 19, 2021 by Digger

[Andrew Amerk]

5 minutes ago, Digger said:

I agree that he will be moved once he shows that he's healthy enough to play again and assuming they can get a fair deal in place.

I understand the fear of the NMC kicking in but the reality is that he's still under contract for 4 more years after this one.  If Adams did not have his hand forced this off season I wouldn't worry about next off season.  It would be a concern in the final year of his contract where he could control his destiny in a trade destination but while he is under contract the Sabres still control where he plays.  He has no more power next off season of forcing a trade than he did this off season.  It's a hypothetical situation anyway.

John controls his trade destiny as soon as that NMC kicks in. 

[Digger]

1 minute ago, Andrew Amerk said:

John controls his trade destiny as soon as that NMC kicks in. 

No he only controls the teams that the Sabres can deal with with a NMC.  He couldn't force the trade last off season with every team in the league and he has no more power to force a trade next year.  Adams will deal him when he gets what he thinks is a fair offer. 

[Andrew Amerk]

2 minutes ago, Digger said:

No he only controls the teams that the Sabres can deal with with a NMC.  He couldn't force the trade last off season with every team in the league and he has no more power to force a trade next year.  Adams will deal him when he gets what he thinks is a fair offer. 

Right now, John can be traded anywhere. That gives the Sabres 31 trade options. 

When that NMC kicks in, John can only be traded to a handful of teams (likely the best ones) who will know this and offer much less in a trade. 

[Curt]

43 minutes ago, Digger said:

I agree that he will be moved once he shows that he's healthy enough to play again and assuming they can get a fair deal in place.

I understand the fear of the NMC kicking in but the reality is that he's still under contract for 4 more years after this one.  If Adams did not have his hand forced this off season I wouldn't worry about next off season.  It would be a concern in the final year of his contract where he could control his destiny in a trade destination but while he is under contract the Sabres still control where he plays.  He has no more power next off season of forcing a trade than he did this off season.  It's a hypothetical situation anyway.

I believe that this view is not realistic, is overly simplistic, and maybe even a little naive.

I believe that a star player (and team captain no less) who wants to be traded, and openly asks to be traded, will be traded.  In that scenario, there is no productive path forward for player and team.  The team can not experience growth and forward progress with such a thing hanging in the air.  The two must separate.

And I don’t believe that Eichel will want to be a Sabre through a 3 year rebuild.  I think he will want out, and I think the Sabres already know that he wants out.

This whole thread is a hypothetical situation.

[Stoner]

Did NS give us John? It's one of the greatest things we've ever had.

[pi2000]

Couple thoughts, the team's most interested in John are most certainly on his allowed list... ANA, LAK, VGK, NYR.   So the NMC really doesn't impact his trade value IMO.

His career is at a crossroads... He can choose the red pill or the blue pill.

[Andrew Amerk]

5 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

Couple thoughts, the team's most interested in John are most certainly on his allowed list... ANA, LAK, VGK, NYR.   So the NMC really doesn't impact his trade value IMO.

His career is at a crossroads... He can choose the red pill or the blue pill.

If his NMC is 8 teams, I wound doubt most of those teams are on the list. 

Edited September 19, 2021 by Andrew Amerk

[Pimlach]

1 hour ago, JohnC said:

Odds are if Jack heals and gets back on the ice and plays at the level that we have seen him play his trade value increases. On the other hand there is another side to this situation: If he regains his form this Granato coached team because a much better team. You don't think the coach wouldn't want that? The core of Jack's disgruntlement is that he intensely wants to win. And playing for the Sabres has not afforded him that opportunity. It's easy to understand why he is dissatisfied with his situation. 

There are plenty of people who say that he lacks leadership. Well maybe in a classical hockey sense (compared to a player like Okposo)  that is a fair description of him but there are other ways to demonstrate it. He does it through his play. Without question he plays hard, and offensively he is one of the more productive players in the league.  At a different level that represents leadership on the ice through his prolific production. 

If the GM decides to move him he should only do it if the return is commensurate for a top tier player in this league. That means a lot in return! If not, then keep him and do everything you can and as fast as you can to give him more support. My point is don't preclude keeping him if that is the best option. 

 

He doesn’t want to stay.  He didn’t give Granato the time of day last year.  He was asked last season to come back to Buffalo to be with his team.  He could have done some of his rehab here.  He stayed away.  Then he didn’t say one thing about Granato and the team in his end of season interview.   He is done.  
 

The people who say he lacks leadership are correct.  Even when he plays at a high level his leadership by example, or by production, has not worked.  

Of course he should ONLY be traded if we get proper value.  The injury question was preventing that.  Once he becomes a tradeable commodity it’s time to move on.  

[Doohicksie]

4 hours ago, Thorny said:

He’s the captain of the team

Well he's the most recent person to wear the C.  If I'm Granato I start out camp with no C's, no A's.  At the end of camp announce your captain.

[klos1963]

2 hours ago, Andrew Amerk said:

John controls his trade destiny as soon as that NMC kicks in. 

Pretty sure there will be multiple teams interested in Eichel that he wouldn't mind going to. If he is healthy and Adams wants to trade him, I really don't see the NMC as a huge issue. He'll be easy to trade if he's back to his normal skill level, and he if really wants to leave, he won't hinder a trade.

1 hour ago, Pimlach said:

He doesn’t want to stay.  He didn’t give Granato the time of day last year.  He was asked last season to come back to Buffalo to be with his team.  He could have done some of his rehab here.  He stayed away.  Then he didn’t say one thing about Granato and the team in his end of season interview.   He is done.  
 

The people who say he lacks leadership are correct.  Even when he plays at a high level his leadership by example, or by production, has not worked.  

Of course he should ONLY be traded if we get proper value.  The injury question was preventing that.  Once he becomes a tradeable commodity it’s time to move on.  

I hate to agree with you on this, but you are correct. But I still don't see a trade helping us that much and it will probably hurt us.

[Doohicksie]

1 hour ago, Curt said:

And I don’t believe that Eichel will want to be a Sabre through a 3 year rebuild.  I think he will want out, and I think the Sabres already know that he wants out.

Funny thing about that.  He signed a piece of paper making him a very well paid indentured servant for 8 years, so I really don't care what John wants.  And sure he could make the dressing room toxic but he knows that won't help his cause any.

[klos1963]

1 hour ago, PASabreFan said:

Did NS give us John? It's one of the greatest things we've ever had.

It's one of the dumbest, especially since the person they are trying to insult would never read anything that is written here. It's dumb for 10 year olds, let alone adults.

[Doohicksie]

Oh yeah, well your post was stinky poo poo.

[erickompositör72]

2 hours ago, Andrew Amerk said:

If his NMC is 8 teams, I wound doubt most of those teams are on the list. 

Yeah, what 20-something millionaire would want to be in NY, LA, or Vegas?

 

😛

[Buffalonill]

5 hours ago, Curt said:

He is gone, healthy or not, I think.  KA decided as much before he was even injured.

I feel very confident that if he is a Sabre through next July, he would be demanding a trade after his NMC kicks in and the Sabres would be forced into a bad trade with almost no leverage.  That’s why I would me interested in trading him now.

What do you mean by the bolded?  What is it that everyone here would also do if in his shoes?

 I mean if I'm Jack l would leave to 

Buffalo had every ***** opportunity to go out and make this team a playoff team instead they said ***** it let it ride . 

 I can't  Believe We just chased out a franchise center 

[Curt]

2 hours ago, Doohickie said:

Funny thing about that.  He signed a piece of paper making him a very well paid indentured servant for 8 years, so I really don't care what John wants.  And sure he could make the dressing room toxic but he knows that won't help his cause any.

See the rest of that same post.  I think this is an overly simplistic way of looking at it.  Just the fact of everyone knowing that Eichel wants to leave would hinder team development.  How can young guys go to the rink everyday and think “we are all in this together, we’re a team”, when the look across the locker room at their captain and best player, and they know that guy wants off the team.

[sabresparaavida]

Theoretical: Jack ends up getting surgery and is out the season. The team plays well, but the goaltending lets us down and we finished around the bottom of the league, add one of the top 3 forward prospects, then actually get a starting caliber goalie on the team. Jack agrees to give it a shot and we have mitts and Cozens, proven top 6 players at this point, R2 playing a solid 3C, Quinn playing well after he comes up partway through, Thompson and asplund playing like good top 6ers, Skinner getting some of his game back with granato, and a full pipeline, along with power, Dahlin, and joki rounding most of a excellent top 4, with a deep backend on the left side. All this along with a brinks truck worth of cap space to add to our team. 

Eichel agrees to give it a shot and they  contend for playoffs the next year, and then go deep the year after with more development.

[K-9]

1 hour ago, sabresparaavida said:

Theoretical: Jack ends up getting surgery and is out the season. The team plays well, but the goaltending lets us down and we finished around the bottom of the league, add one of the top 3 forward prospects, then actually get a starting caliber goalie on the team. Jack agrees to give it a shot and we have mitts and Cozens, proven top 6 players at this point, R2 playing a solid 3C, Quinn playing well after he comes up partway through, Thompson and asplund playing like good top 6ers, Skinner getting some of his game back with granato, and a full pipeline, along with power, Dahlin, and joki rounding most of a excellent top 4, with a deep backend on the left side. All this along with a brinks truck worth of cap space to add to our team. 

Eichel agrees to give it a shot and they  contend for playoffs the next year, and then go deep the year after with more development.

[JohnC]

8 hours ago, Pimlach said:

He doesn’t want to stay.  He didn’t give Granato the time of day last year.  He was asked last season to come back to Buffalo to be with his team.  He could have done some of his rehab here.  He stayed away.  Then he didn’t say one thing about Granato and the team in his end of season interview.   He is done.  
 

The people who say he lacks leadership are correct.  Even when he plays at a high level his leadership by example, or by production, has not worked.  

Of course he should ONLY be traded if we get proper value.  The injury question was preventing that.  Once he becomes a tradeable commodity it’s time to move on.  

Everything you say is about the past. What if the situation changes and there is a changing of attitude from the player and the organization? Those who act as if all the fault of this deteriorated relationship is due to the player are not accounting for the half generation of dysfunction coming from this befuddled organization. How could it not be understood why player/s would want to escape such a losing and chaotic situation?

What I object to is this mischaracterization of Jack as if he is a bad guy and a cancer in the room. Nothing is further from the truth. He gets along with his teammates. What you haven't heard during this extended interlude is any of his teammates anonymously criticizing him. That is telling. Has he been the best captain? No. But there is a legitimate question as to why a young player should have been bestowed with that responsibility when he wasn't ready for it. Again, another one of the organization's long list of mistakes. 

It is more likely than not that when he gets healthy he will be dealt. And if dealt it would be a blunder to trade him unless there is a maximum return  The point I'm making is that it would be wise to keep the retention option open. 

[Huckleberry]

Over 300 pages 😄