Proposal: Eichel Mega Thread

[Stephen]

Trade would never happen - but if you think Suzuki + Petry + 1st/Caufield wouldn't peak some interest you're crazy.

Petry wouldn't make a lot of sense because then the Sabres would have to go and broker a separate Petry deal. Would be easier to just secure the best "Lindros lite" deal possible from the get go.

 

[tsujimoto74]

It's not.

 

[truthbluth]

Trade would never happen - but if you think Suzuki + Petry + 1st/Caufield wouldn't peak some interest you're crazy.

It’s just not close. Look, I get it, you want a superstar. Well the Sabres have one, and they’re not cashing in theirs for your pretty good pieces. It’ll take one very big piece to land Eichel, and the Habs just don’t have that right now.

 

[theguardianII]

Then we trade him. But we’re not trading Dahlin + Cozens before we trade Eichel.

Not saying I’d do it, but if we’re trading Dahlin + Cozens, in the same trade, then it’s for Dach + Bogqvist, or Pettersen + Hughes, Hughes + Smith, Zegras + Drysdale, Stutzle + Sanderson. You know, getting the same positions back.

It’s not gonna be for Boeser + Juolevi.

He........sat out. Ask? Demand?

So now Boeser and Juloevi is too much because Buffalo has to trade him from a position of weakness, right?

 

[Canovin]

Buffalo should package all their bad contracts with Eichel and start a mini rebuild

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

Buffalo should package all their bad contracts with Eichel and start a mini rebuild

Skinner is mostly it. Okposo is an easy buyout after next year.

 

[Mackiaveli]

It’s just not close. Look, I get it, you want a superstar. Well the Sabres have one, and they’re not cashing in theirs for your pretty good pieces. It’ll take one very big piece to land Eichel, and the Habs just don’t have that right now.

There is no player of Eichel's caliber that is disgruntled and/or needing a change of scenery. If Eichel gets moved, it will be for a package of younger players/picks, and if they are trying to improve their team this season then a high-impact player who is 30+ is probably fine on top of the aforementioned younger players/picks.

Suzuki (2C, future 1C) + Caufield (former 1st rounder, 2nd in Hobey Baker voting) + Petry (18p in 19g, has been a top 30RD for three seasons in a row, now)

If they wanted a full futures package they could easily flip Petry for a 1st + a prospect somewhere trying to compete for a cup. I probably wouldn't even do this trade as Montreal despite how good Eichel is because Caufield is an unknown and Montreal would get noticeably worse losing Petry. People thinking Eichel would get traded for a superstar player like Q.Hughes or Makar are hopeful optimists.

 

[Zip15]

Trade would never happen - but if you think Suzuki + Petry + 1st/Caufield wouldn't peak some interest you're crazy.

It wouldn't. Petry is 33 and a pending UFA. If Buffalo is trading Jack, they're acknowledging that playoffs will be a few years away. Why would Petry re-sign with that organization? Why would Buffalo pay big money to a soon-to-be 34yo defenseman?

First, Buffalo would never trade Eichel to the Habs (or Leafs, Bruins, or any other primary rival). But even engaging in this academic exercise, that package isn't nearly enough to trade Eichel within the division. Montreal would theoretically have to add guys like Kotkaniemi and Luke Tuch, at minimum, to Suzuki and Caufield. Acquiring Jack would require complete and total evisceration of Montreal's U22 pipeline.

 

[is the answer jesus]

There is no player of Eichel's caliber that is disgruntled and/or needing a change of scenery. If Eichel gets moved, it will be for a package of younger players/picks, and if they are trying to improve their team this season then a high-impact player who is 30+ is probably fine on top of the aforementioned younger players/picks.

Suzuki (2C, future 1C) + Caufield (former 1st rounder, 2nd in Hobey Baker voting) + Petry (18p in 19g, has been a top 30RD for three seasons in a row, now)

If they wanted a full futures package they could easily flip Petry for a 1st + a prospect somewhere trying to compete for a cup. I probably wouldn't even do this trade as Montreal despite how good Eichel is because Caufield is an unknown and Montreal would get noticeably worse losing Petry. People thinking Eichel would get traded for a superstar player like Q.Hughes or Makar are hopeful optimists.

Perfect because Buffalo wouldn't either.

 

[Big Empty]

Nick Suzuki
Kaiden Guhle
Jordan Harris
2021 1st

for Eichel

 

[is the answer jesus]

Nick Suzuki
Kaiden Guhle
Jordan Harris
2021 1st

for Eichel

Different permutations of the same good, not great assets don't do anything for Buffalo.

 

[KingLB]

Byfield+Kempe+1st+potential Thomas/Clague/Madden level prospect.

Hard to beat that package. Unless you want the center piece to be more NHL proven, which unfortunately takes the Kings out of the running.

(open to Walker being swapped in for Kempe, but not sure Bufs needs)

 

[MarkusKetterer]

He........sat out. Ask? Demand?

So now Boeser and Juloevi is too much because Buffalo has to trade him from a position of weakness, right?

No no. I meant if we’re trading Dahlin + Cozens in a trade, it’s for equivalent positions and ages. And for better returns than Boeser + Juolevi.

As in we’re trading our future 2C and 1D for people expected to be the same thing. Now whether that happens in this hypothetical is another story altogether

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Skinner is mostly it. Okposo is an easy buyout after next year.

So if the Sharks were willing to take Skinner with Eichel, what would be needed when the salary returned is Meier, Labanc, Simek, and Sorensen? Clearly there will need to be futures involved but if that's the players being returned to make the cap work and we are talking about taking Skinner back, what futures need to be there to close the deal?

 

[is the answer jesus]

So if the Sharks were willing to take Skinner with Eichel, what would be needed when the salary returned is Meier, Labanc, Simek, and Sorensen? Clearly there will need to be futures involved but if that's the players being returned to make the cap work and we are talking about taking Skinner back, what futures need to be there to close the deal?

I don't get the appeal of attaching Skinner to Eichel for Buffalo. Obviously it would free up a ton of cap space, but what does Buffalo do with that? They'd be a rebuilding team with a lot of cap space and next to no appeal to free agents because they've been terrible and just traded their franchise player.

 

[McOilers97]

I don't get the appeal of attaching Skinner to Eichel for Buffalo. Obviously it would free up a ton of cap space, but what does Buffalo do with that? They'd be a rebuilding team with a lot of cap space and next to no appeal to free agents because they've been terrible and just traded their franchise player.

If they don't find a way to get rid of Skinner in that deal, they'd be a rebuilding team stuck with Jeff Skinner. For SIX more years. That sounds way worse to me.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

I don't get the appeal of attaching Skinner to Eichel for Buffalo. Obviously it would free up a ton of cap space, but what does Buffalo do with that? They'd be a rebuilding team with a lot of cap space and next to no appeal to free agents because they've been terrible and just traded their franchise player.

I don't get it either but if it's something they'd prefer to pursue, I wouldn't be opposed to attempting to accommodate in order to acquire Eichel at a cheaper cost. It's understandable why they would try to because they may not have another opportunity to move Skinner.

 

[is the answer jesus]

If they don't find a way to get rid of Skinner in that deal, they'd be a rebuilding team stuck with Jeff Skinner. For SIX more years. That sounds way worse to me.

Attach Skinner and the return on Eichel then becomes significantly less. So again, you're a rebuilding team that just traded a franchise player and got less building blocks in return than you should have. The cap savings will be inconsequential because no decent player will want to come or stay here after a trade like that.

 

[McOilers97]

Attach Skinner and the return on Eichel then becomes significantly less. So again, you're a rebuilding team that just traded a franchise player and got less building blocks in return than you should have. The cap savings will be inconsequential because no decent player will want to come or stay here after a trade like that.

I guess I agree with that. Still a bad position to be in though. So they trade Eichel, keep Skinner, rebuild. Then maybe 3 years from now they're looking to start spending some money again and move up in the standings. Still have 3 more years of Skinner. Gonna buy him out then and eat $3m per year for 6 years?

The contract was a doomed failure as soon as it was signed. There really isn't a good way to get out of it, because teams that would be interested in a Skinner reclamation probably don't want him for 6 years, or don't have the cap space to take on $9m, and honestly probably can't justify even paying $6m of his salary even with Buffalo retaining some of it.

 

[truthbluth]

Byfield+Kempe+1st+potential Thomas/Clague/Madden level prospect.

Hard to beat that package. Unless you want the center piece to be more NHL proven, which unfortunately takes the Kings out of the running.

(open to Walker being swapped in for Kempe, but not sure Bufs needs)

I agree this (and other similar offers around Byfield) seems like the best proposal and no one will beat it. I hate it, but not because it isn’t a fair proposal. It’s just that Byfield is nowhere near the prospect Eichel was, but he’s still a great prospect. Probably Kempe over Walker, and Madden of the last 3.

 

[HymanLover]

hockey is a team sport. eichel hasn't helped, led or contributed to his team making the playoffs despite the efforts of 3 coaches, 3 gms and a free spending owner. not disputing eichel or his talents as a singular player whatsoever. he is capable of many individual milestones, could get 100 points for sure, 30 goals aren't unreasonable, 60 assists within his grasp. doesn't mean a thing if sabres finish at the bottom again. jack isn't tavares elevating moulson or okposo, jack isn't mcdavid or crosby elevating sheary & kahun.

jack plays for jack stats, jack money & jack cred. jack has not helped the sabres do anything except sell jack jerseys, jack bobbleheads & jack tshirts.

He's done jack sh*t.

 

[wunderpanda]

I don't watch Eichel much but I am pretty sure he elevates his teammates. OKoposo and Matt Moulson were good players in their prime. I don't think Eichel had or has wingers equivalent to names mentioned above other than Hall but Taylor Hall is a driver and wouldn't Gel with Eichel.

I do think Eichel cares about winning but it is hard to win when your GM's fail to bring in a good supporting cast. Losing that O'Reilly trade was more detrimental to buffo than the oilers trading Hall and Eberle for Larsson and nothing. Buffalo has great young players but it doesn't look good.

100% agree about hall being a driver as the reason, was similar with orielly, evander, skinner, pretty much everyone besides mcginn & reinhart. jack is just difficult to build around. not really sure where it broke down either, seemed like all he needed was someone to fetch the puck out of the corners & someone to pass him the puck.

 

[wunderpanda]

McDavid has Draisaitl with him and he still has made the playoffs only twice. Kahun had higher PPG pace in Buffalo than he does in Edmonton aswell. You’re literally expecting Eichel to carry Buffalo to playoffs by himself? There is no facts to support the claim that any player would ”elevate” Sabres in to the playoffs. Apparently Eichel is scoring and generating pretty much all of Sabres offense wrong too since that doesn’t help the team? Just an awful awful take and reeks of bias against him

jack has reinhart with him, also had ror, evander, skinner, hall, ennis, pominville. i don't expect jack to carry the sabres to the playoffs alone, its more about ripples of his potential impact.

if jack could produce with 1-dimensional shoot first & a defense first grinder on his line, it allows other skilled forwards to strengthen other lines. jack producing with 2 role players frees up the roster to create more depth.

 

[OKR]

jack has reinhart with him, also had ror, evander, skinner, hall, ennis, pominville. i don't expect jack to carry the sabres to the playoffs alone, its more about ripples of his potential impact.

if jack could produce with 1-dimensional shoot first & a defense first grinder on his line, it allows other skilled forwards to strengthen other lines. jack producing with 2 role players frees up the roster to create more depth.

When that one player scores 20 points more than the next best while playing less games, he clearly isn’t the issue...

 

[tsujimoto74]

jack has reinhart with him, also had ror, evander, skinner, hall, ennis, pominville. i don't expect jack to carry the sabres to the playoffs alone, its more about ripples of his potential impact.

if jack could produce with 1-dimensional shoot first & a defense first grinder on his line, it allows other skilled forwards to strengthen other lines. jack producing with 2 role players frees up the roster to create more depth.

Eichel got Jason Pominville's corpse to score 20 goals. He got Skinner to 40. Your take is so completely out of touch with reality.