How Important Is It To Get A Goalie In Any Eichel Trade? ***This is not a poll***

[GoPuckYourself]

I think the combo of Craig Anderson and UPL will start off rough but end on a high note. Anderson was brought it to totally mentor him and we have 3 young goalie prospects in the pipeline so getting another prospect in a trade doesn't make much sense imo and Anderson will be an excellent mentor and I think he will do his best to prove that he still has something left in the tank also, he's always been a scraper. The focus in the Jack deal is 100% center imo.

[Weave]

6 minutes ago, GoPuckYourself said:

I think the combo of Craig Anderson and UPL will start off rough but end on a high note. Anderson was brought it to totally mentor him and we have 3 young goalie prospects in the pipeline so getting another prospect in a trade doesn't make much sense imo and Anderson will be an excellent mentor and I think he will do his best to prove that he still has something left in the tank also, he's always been a scraper. The focus in the Jack deal is 100% center imo.

Anderson can’t mentor UPL when they are playing in different leagues.

[apuszczalowski]

On 10/9/2021 at 7:37 AM, RangerDave said:

I am tired of losing.  IF they can get a goalie that helps them win now, they should would jump at the chance.  The youngsters on the team need to find joy in playing now, not 3-5 years from now (as do us fans).  If we can get a goalie that is great for the next 5 years, that is the length of the rest of Eichel's contract, and bridges us until the prospects get good.  I don't think even a healthy, happy Eichel has them winning now, without a goalie who can win now.

That said, I don't know of any team that has a spare great goalie that they would give up in a trade for Eichel.  But, I don't know of any team that would give up a 1C of equal value to Eichel either.  Why would they?  I don't think any team is going to give up anything but prospects for Eichel.  They are interested in getting their team better now.  That means not giving up an equal asset that they need now.

I don't have a lot of faith that an Eichel trade is going to make us better anytime soon.  And I am dreading being a fan for the next 3-5 years while our gained prospect assets, #1 OA pick, and prospect goalies all get decent.  That is a lot of hopefuls that may not pan out (and have historically not panned out).

Whatever is takes to win now, we need to do it.  Pinning hopes on prospects is getting very old.  Screw the #1 OA.  That plan has not worked at all for us.

With the Bills, I used to say not "Wait 'til next year!", but "Wait 'til the year after next, because we are gonna still suck this year!"  With the Sabres, I say, "Wait 'til 5 years from now!"  And that sucks.....

I have said it before, the return for Eichel will be disappointing because teams looking to get him are trying to win now and won't be giving up assetts that can help now (or soon). If a team has a 1C centre to be the focal point of the deal, why would they want Eichel, someone who won't be able to step in and help them right away? If they get a 1C in the deal, it will be a prospect who will be a few years away from playing in the league.

 

I always find it funny seeing people worried about getting players that could help now, because it might block younger players. Or they don't need better players because they aren't ready to win now. This is how you end up in this mess, and in situations like what happened with O'Reilly. Players don't want to lose and continue to lose while being told to wait a year or 2 for some prospects to make the jump. You end up with players that want out because they are sick of losing. The best way to develop players is to put them in situations where they can come into a winning situation. Having a goalie who had announced he was going to retire and a journeyman in net isn't going to help develop anyone. If they had a good/solid goalie, it can help everyone in front of them to focus on their own play and not worry about making mistakes that will cost the team. Just like the best way to bring in a young goalie would be to put a solid team in front of them to take pressure off of the from having to carry them. and so what if it blocks a young players development, thats a good problem to have because it means you have a bunch of talent that can become trade chips in the future. I don't think theres ever been a prospect who it can be said was ruined by staying in the minors too long, but theres many that it can be said were ruined by being rushed up too early because the team had no better options

[postseasonblues]

A goalie being anything more than a contract dump add on in the Eichel trade is gross.