Player Discussion Jack Eichel Part 5 -- Will he be a Sabre next season?

[UnleashRasmus]

It's like a Manchester United transfer, it just goes on and on and on. (Completely different sport, but appropriate comparison)

 

[5 Minute Major]

Elliotte Friedman:

"If this doesn't happen by the draft, Jack Eichel I think is going to be impatient"

Oh no!

LOL

 

[Rowley Birkin]

IF! Then Zegras is up for a deal the year after. Either way you're paying.

Zegras has 2 years of ELC left. That's pretty valuable. If he then ears a 10m/per deal it's because he's been playing at Eichel-esque levels.

 

[Sabre Dance]

Zegras has 2 years of ELC left. That's pretty valuable. If he then ears a 10m/per deal it's because he's been playing at Eichel-esque levels.

He'll have 1 year left after breaking out next year as you predict. He has to break out 1st.

 

[BananaSquad]

I don’t think Eichel would be that pissed off if he isn’t traded, I’m sure Adams has told him if we get terrible offers for you, you ain’t going anywhere. Also the guy is in Buffalo right now (ya ya girlfriend , dude is rich , can be anywhere) so I mean I’m sure he knows somewhat he might be back. Where’s Reinhart right now? Out west I’m guessing lol.

 

[Sabre Dance]

I don’t think Eichel would be that pissed off if he isn’t traded, I’m sure Adams has told him if we get terrible offers for you, you ain’t going anywhere. Also the guy is in Buffalo right now (ya ya girlfriend , dude is rich , can be anywhere) so I mean I’m sure he knows somewhat he might be back. Where’s Reinhart right now? Out west I’m guessing lol.

There has yet to be a trade request either. I'm still not exactly sure who wants the trade more, the Sabres or Eichel. It seems to lean towards the Sabres wanting the trade.

 

[Rowley Birkin]

He'll have 1 year left after breaking out next year as you predict. He has to break out 1st.

I don't know what your arguement is at this point. He's 20yo, already 0.5ppg in the NHL & above 1ppg in the AHL.

He's going to provide excellent value for his cap hit at least for the next 2 seasons.

 

[SackTastic]

Eichel definitely has the leverage. The Sabres have an organization to build up. So I do believe Eichel has all the leverage. But they could test Eichel for a year and see if he cracks. The Sabres can easily sit on Eichel for a season. Eichel doesn't do well with adversity in the media. I don't see him in the press.

While I agree Eichel has the most leverage right now, I disagree with the bolded.

The Sabres will have to pay Eichel until he is declared fit to play and refuses to report, or until he has exhausted all CBA rights , the Sabres doctors present the final treatment plan, and he refuses to follow in. Both cases he would be suspended without pay, and I am fairly sure they could toll his contract in that case, pushing his NMC a year out.

With he current public perception of the franchise, there is no way in hell they could freeze Eichel out without people starting to show up at Pegula's house. It would be a PR nightmare for them, not to mention One More Reason why no player will ever want to come here.

 

[Buffaloed]

While I agree Eichel has the most leverage right now, I disagree with the bolded.

The Sabres will have to pay Eichel until he is declared fit to play and refuses to report, or until he has exhausted all CBA rights , the Sabres doctors present the final treatment plan, and he refuses to follow in. Both cases he would be suspended without pay, and I am fairly sure they could toll his contract in that case, pushing his NMC a year out.

With he current public perception of the franchise, there is no way in hell they could freeze Eichel out without people starting to show up at Pegula's house. It would be a PR nightmare for them, not to mention One More Reason why no player will ever want to come here.

It would also be a huge distraction for the team and prevent them from moving forward. I have better things to do in Boca Raton than stand in front of the Pegula house with a torch and pitchfork.

 

[Sabre the Win]

Today is the day! Or not.
If it is the day, be prepared for a littany of,"that's it! I'm done with this team once and for all!" proclamations. Of which, approximately .017% will be true.
You've been advised.

He's not being traded today.

 

[Buffaloed]

Today is the day! Or not.
If it is the day, be prepared for a littany of,"that's it! I'm done with this team once and for all!" proclamations. Of which, approximately .017% will be true.
You've been advised.

I hope that's just the teams in the east.

 

[SackTastic]

It would also be a huge distraction for the team and prevent them from moving forward. I have better things to do in Boca Raton than stand in front of the Pegula house with a torch and pitchfork.

The best thing to do in Boca Raton is GTFO of Boca Raton.

 

[BananaSquad]

There has yet to be a trade request either. I'm still not exactly sure who wants the trade more, the Sabres or Eichel. It seems to lean towards the Sabres wanting the trade.

I mean to live in Buffalo and walk around the city with you wanting out just seems off. If the dude was 100 percent I’m done, you move everyone somewhere else for the summer and let this go down I would think. Not saying he won’t get traded, just seems like it’s more Toronto media pushing the agenda than anyone.

 

[BloFan4Life]

Because his injury was suffered while performing his obligations under contract, the Sabres are required to pay him. As long as the team doctors do not clear him to play, he can stay on IR and keep collecting checks.

Eichel has options to drag this out to create lots of financial and PR pressure on the team.

If the team doctors DO clear him to play, he can refuse and file medical grievances. There is no pathway that I see in the CBA that would let Eichel's doctors override the team physicians, however he can object to if the process was followed, and can object to the fit to play designation.

Once the season starts, the team must pay him per his contract, even if this process is continuing to drag out. The only way they STOP paying him is if they declare him fit to play, he loses his grievance on that decision, and they suspend him for not reporting. The Sabres obviously don't want to go down this route for financial reasons, nor PR ones. It also doesn't make sense to NOT trade him now and suspend him for the year with the looming NMC next year.

What the heck are you talking about?

A whole lot of hypotheticals in there.

I'm pretty sure Eichel wants to pay hockey and not sit on his butt for the next 5 years. The injury provides no leverage anywhere for him to be playing hockey and sitting on his butt.

 

[joshjull]

 

[SackTastic]

What the heck are you talking about?

A whole lot of hypotheticals in there.

I'm pretty sure Eichel wants to pay hockey and not sit on his butt for the next 5 years. The injury provides no leverage anywhere for him to be playing hockey and sitting on his butt.

It's not hypotheticals. It's all directly from the CBA.

 

[Sabre Dance]

I don't know what your arguement is at this point. He's 20yo, already 0.5ppg in the NHL & above 1ppg in the AHL.

He's going to provide excellent value for his cap hit at least for the next 2 seasons.

He'll be good value either way but the argument was about locking him in at 65+ points next year.

Increased role, tougher competition, there's going to be some struggles. Anaheim isn't a cup team next year so the benefits of a low Zegras cap hit are going to be short lived.

 

[OkimLom]

I mean to live in Buffalo and walk around the city with you wanting out just seems off. If the dude was 100 percent I’m done, you move everyone somewhere else for the summer and let this go down I would think. Not saying he won’t get traded, just seems like it’s more Toronto media pushing the agenda than anyone.

Based on Eichel's own words at the end of the season interviews with the media, it seemed to me that Buffalo is the one ready to move on from him, and that he's accepted whatever fate holds, based on the gap of communication between the two parties. Based on Buffalo's own words, it seems they have moved on from him, but if there were any improvement in the situation, that they would be open to working things out.

Everything else is just empty calories for people to take in. Lots of speculation and rumors and thoughts that age poorly, with them cashing on people's "skepticism" on the parties involved that they won't just accept that maybe, just maybe, there really is no new information to the crowd. It's quite hilarious to see people bending over backwards to get worked up over unconfirmed sourced information from those that benefit from clicks and views.

If it's going to happen, it's going to happen. There's literally NOTHING anybody can do about the trade package, or the decision or lack of decision to get the trade done.

Just be patient, ignore the noise, and for once enjoy the surprise of something.

People got along just fine without up to the minute news in the past, we don't need to lose our collective minds on every single stupid rumor that comes through.

 

[Rowley Birkin]

He'll be good value either way but the argument was about locking him in at 65+ points next year.

Increased role, tougher competition, there's going to be some struggles. Anaheim isn't a cup team next year so the benefits of a low Zegras cap hit are going to be short lived.

I didn't 'lock him in' to anything.

Anaheim may not be a contender this season - but cap space is still very valuable.

 

[old kummelweck]

Zegras has 2 years of ELC left. That's pretty valuable. If he then ears a 10m/per deal it's because he's been playing at Eichel-esque levels.

Hard to say where the top-tier salaries are going to go, but the cap is flat for the next year or two and the league has significant work ahead to get bodies back into the seats. We are already seeing teams not-qualifying arbitration-eligible players. That's an early sign of cap pressure across the board. Will top-end talent continue to go up?

 

[yahhockey]

A post-draft trade involving next year's draft pick(s) would be upsetting, especially if it was with someone who had decent draft location this year. Then KA is gambling and we could truly be looking at ROR 2.0 where the odds of turning the pick into a good NHL player are lower. Hoping the issue is resolved in the next 30 hours (not years, lol) or he stays and they find a way to move forward. I may cut the grass in a bit so that window of time could be your incoming Eichel news.

 

[Dirty Dog]

A post-draft trade involving next year's draft pick(s) would be upsetting, especially if it was with someone who had decent draft location this year. Then KA is gambling and we could truly be looking at ROR 2.0 where the odds of turning the pick into a good NHL player are lower. Hoping the issue is resolved in the next 30 years or he stays and they find a way to move forward. I may cut the grass in a bit so that window of time could be your incoming Eichel news.

I wonder how much 55 year old eichel will get?

 

[yahhockey]

At least a 1st round pick simply for the fans to watch the oldest greatest NHL player in history, lol

 

[SabresOnTheWarpath]

I heard from unknown sources that Jack is staying and we're trading Risto for Lafrenière. Please tell all your NYR friends.

 

[5 Minute Major]

A post-draft trade involving next year's draft pick(s) would be upsetting, especially if it was with someone who had decent draft location this year. Then KA is gambling and we could truly be looking at ROR 2.0 where the odds of turning the pick into a good NHL player are lower. Hoping the issue is resolved in the next 30 hours (not years, lol) or he stays and they find a way to move forward. I may cut the grass in a bit so that window of time could be your incoming Eichel news.

So, you are hoping the Sabres act quickly to avoid another ROR return?

Don't you see the irony of your own post?