Boston Sports Journal Weighing the cost, challenges for Bruins in a potential Jack Eichel blockbuster trade

[ON3M4N]

Nothing to discuss. Just no. Pasta is a franchise player. I wouldn't even trade him for McDavid, let alone Eichel. Connor is objectively the better player, but Pasta is special, a guy who not only performs on the ice but improves the team's culture, gives it a certain pizzazz and sells tickets by the bucketful. And he's incredible value and highly likely to stay that way.

You don't give that up for anything.

I'd trade Pasta for McDavid in a heartbeat.

 

[ON3M4N]

Defeats the purpose though, ideally you want Eichel and Pasta together on the Bruins.

Sure thats ideal, but your either going to have to trade a good chunk of the roster for Eichel or move an elite piece for an elite piece

 

[member 96824]

Trade pieces aside, with his focus on character, I also wonder if Sweeney would really want to integrate someone who was labeled as a "brooding superstar, a general manager and coach killer who’d throw his own grandmother under the bus."

By who and what evidence at all is there that any of this exists other than complete media fabrication and fans that don’t pay attention?

 

[member 96824]

All of this nonsense started cause Eichel said he’s sick of losing. If that’s a locker room problem then sign me the f*** up for all locker room problems

 

[member 96824]

This is why I am so uneasy about Eichel, I keep reading/hearing stuff like this. A lot of it could be wrong but where there's smoke etc.

The Bruins have built a strong organization based on character and accountability. IMO someone like Eichel could poison that, it only takes one jerk to wreck a locker room even one populated by Chara & Bergeron. Who btw are closer to the end of their careers than to the beginning and may not want to babysit a problem child.

Provide links.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

All of this nonsense started cause Eichel said he’s sick of losing. If that’s a locker room problem then sign me the f*** up for all locker room problems

There doesn't seem to be much more to it than that at this stage, which if so I agree is not an issue for Eichel. Obviously GMs will have much better info on his attitudes and behaviour should any be looking at him as an option at some point, but on the public record he just seems super-competitive and there's nothing wrong with that.

 

[Mr. Make-Believe]

All of this nonsense started cause Eichel said he’s sick of losing. If that’s a locker room problem then sign me the f*** up for all locker room problems

You’re not f***in’ kidding!

Listen, Eichel knew what he was getting into when he signed that deal. I’ll believe he wants out when he asks out.

And I’ll believe he wants to win, because f***in’ rights he does. It’s hard when it looks like a circular effort to improve. I’d be frustrated too. But I’d also be committed to the team footing the $80M bill to keep me a part of things.

I believe he wants to win IN BUFFALO. This conjecture is tiresome.

 

[Aussie Bruin]

You’re not f***in’ kidding!

Listen, Eichel knew what he was getting into when he signed that deal. I’ll believe he wants out when he asks out.

And I’ll believe he wants to win, because f***in’ rights he does. It’s hard when it looks like a circular effort to improve. I’d be frustrated too. But I’d also be committed to the team footing the $80M bill to keep me a part of things.

I believe he wants to win IN BUFFALO. This conjecture is tiresome.

One thing I will say to these mostly younger guys who take big deals and claim that they badly 'want to win' - take a look in your wallet.

One of the big reasons the Bruins have been a top team for a long time is we have players of the calibre of Bergeron, Marchand, Pastrnak, Krejci, Rask and Krug all signed up for under $7.25 mil p.a., and young up-and-comers like McAvoy taking smart shorter-term deals to stay in Boston. And it's not just the Bruins - most of the recent Cup winners have had relatively balanced, egalitarian pay distributions across their rosters, although it's probably us and the Blues that excel most in this area.

So for the guys like Eichel who are on $10+ mil on struggling teams and are frustrated by a lack of success, maybe have a think about how much your big fat paycheck is contributing to your team's issues, and about how much you really put a premium on team success. I get that athletic careers are short and people want to get good value for their talents and hard work, and that's fair enough, but there's a balance to be struck between making decent coin and helping your team to have the resources and depth to compete at the top end.

I'm not singling out Eichel here - he's only following what others have done and in context his contract is market value for his ability and not ridiculous - just raising a general point that maybe some of these top players need to be a little smarter about how they handle their negotiations and demands if they really want a shot at Cup glory.

 

[CharaBadSenyshynGawd]

Not sure why Pastas name is even coming up. That’s not the way NHL trades work. When was the last time a young superstar was traded in a deal for another young superstar?

if a trade for Eichel happens it’s probably going to be for a package of first and 2nd round picks, prospects in the system already, and one of our young Dmen. Krejci probably ends up being the odd man out in terms of salary.

 

[ON3M4N]

Not sure why Pastas name is even coming up. That’s not the way NHL trades work. When was the last time a young superstar was traded in a deal for another young superstar?

if a trade for Eichel happens it’s probably going to be for a package of first and 2nd round picks, prospects in the system already, and one of our young Dmen. Krejci probably ends up being the odd man out in terms of salary.

Because to land Eichel you're either trading a player of equal value or you're trading a good chunk of your roster. The last big one for one that I recall was Seth Jones for Ryan Johansen

 

[member 96824]

One thing I will say to these mostly younger guys who take big deals and claim that they badly 'want to win' - take a look in your wallet.

One of the big reasons the Bruins have been a top team for a long time is we have players of the calibre of Bergeron, Marchand, Pastrnak, Krejci, Rask and Krug all signed up for under $7.25 mil p.a., and young up-and-comers like McAvoy taking smart shorter-term deals to stay in Boston. And it's not just the Bruins - most of the recent Cup winners have had relatively balanced, egalitarian pay distributions across their rosters, although it's probably us and the Blues that excel most in this area.

So for the guys like Eichel who are on $10+ mil on struggling teams and are frustrated by a lack of success, maybe have a think about how much your big fat paycheck is contributing to your team's issues, and about how much you really put a premium on team success. I get that athletic careers are short and people want to get good value for their talents and hard work, and that's fair enough, but there's a balance to be struck between making decent coin and helping your team to have the resources and depth to compete at the top end.

I'm not singling out Eichel here - he's only following what others have done and in context his contract is market value for his ability and not ridiculous - just raising a general point that maybe some of these top players need to be a little smarter about how they handle their negotiations and demands if they really want a shot at Cup glory.

While it sounds great, is that actually the case though? I would argue it takes a lot of trust in management to execute on that and almost no management, including ours, should really be trusted to do that when it means taking bread off your own table. I would also definitely make the case that Buffalo is not a $2M player away from success.

Let's look in the mirror at Boston: Have the B's rewarded their core for taking below market deals?(Though I would argue Krejci's was a market deal). This year at the beginning of the season the combined cap hit of Dennis Seidenberg, Matt Beleskey, David Backes, and John Moore was $11.816 million dollars. Meanwhile, David Krejci played with 36 different right wingers including my uncle Mark who got a stab at it for being lucky number 9 to walk into the garden on "meet your heroes" night. If that $11.816M in cap was allocated to David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and Tuukka Rask would the team have looked any different?

Sure we've had success, but the foundation of that success hasn't been amazing cap management due to our core taking below market deals. Honestly, that's not the foundation of the success on the other team that you mentioned as well, St. Louis. They haven't treated free agency like a 2AM Vegas Buffett but they have a handful of bad deals.

I would argue that getting production out of your ELC's around your core is significantly more important than trying to squeeze your stars for money. When you look at the B's getting significant production from DeBrusk, McAvoy, Bjork, Lauzon, Clifton, Carlo, etc. over the last 2 years THAT is the driving force on having a good team. Same case with St. Louis: Thomas, Dunn, Sanford, Blais, Barbashev, Binnington,

That's simply something that Buffalo hasn't had. Not only have they not been accumulating picks but the picks they've used have been wiffs and their acquisitions are a muddy mess of people clearly trying to keep their jobs with a very volatile ownership group.

I also think $10M today for Eichel is an okay price, I'm with you there. He's a playmaker so on a bad team it doesn't show through in the stat lines or highlights but when you watch Buffalo I would argue only McDavid and MacKinnon influence a game more than Jack Eichel does at forward on an individual level. The problem is it's like the '13 finals when Tyler Seguin was threading the needle to Chris Kelly and Kaspars Daugavins. This year he started to shoot more which was a very positive thing for his game. I dunno, we'll see. If I were Jack I'd still give it a couple more years but if I hit 25 and was still in the lottery I'd ask out and no way would that make him a locker room problem....the same way that Ryan O'Reilly was not a locker room cancer (despite people calling him in Buffalo as well)

 

[Therick67]

Buffalo is a perennial loser, so they have to overpay for top end talent to stay. The Bruins have been very competitive over the last 10 years, so guys want to be a part of it and are more willing to take a little less...

 

[LSCII]

You’re not f***in’ kidding!

Listen, Eichel knew what he was getting into when he signed that deal. I’ll believe he wants out when he asks out.

And I’ll believe he wants to win, because f***in’ rights he does. It’s hard when it looks like a circular effort to improve. I’d be frustrated too. But I’d also be committed to the team footing the $80M bill to keep me a part of things.

I believe he wants to win IN BUFFALO. This conjecture is tiresome.

You and @BrainOfJ are spot on. This isn't Eichel asking out, but rather Eichel asking the team to improve the roster.

 

[Therick67]

You and @BrainOfJ are spot on. This isn't Eichel asking out, but rather Eichel asking the team to improve the roster.

Seems lots of people are putting spin on his actual comments. Anyone who actual watches this kid play can see how talented he is..

 

[kdog82]

A reasonable deal to me would be:

Debrusk, Studnicka, a 1st rounder plus a choice of another prospect OR another 1st round pick. 4 assets, not 5 or 6. This is Jack Eichel were talking about here, not a 23-year old Crosby or OV.

I remove Studnicka. Buffalo can choose between Frederic or Beecher instead of Studnicka.

My proposal:

Debrusk + Grizz or Lauzon + Frederic or Beecher + 2021 1st

for

Eichel

Krejci would probably need to be moved to accommodate the trade. Krejci to Carolina for a pair of 2nd's

Eichel
Bergeron/Stud (after Bergy retires)
Stud/Coyle/Beecher or Frederic

Up the middle Bruins would be set for another decade.

 

[ON3M4N]

I remove Studnicka. Buffalo can choose between Frederic or Beecher instead of Studnicka.

My proposal:

Debrusk + Grizz or Lauzon + Frederic or Beecher + 2021 1st

for

Eichel

Krejci would probably need to be moved to accommodate the trade. Krejci to Carolina for a pair of 2nd's

Eichel
Bergeron/Stud (after Bergy retires)
Stud/Coyle/Beecher or Frederic

Up the middle Bruins would be set for another decade.

Frederic and Beecher don't hold the value that Studnicka does. I'd move Studnicka in a deal for Eichel. Down the middle you're looking at (assuming DK is moved):

Bergeron
Eichel
Coyle

As Bergeron gets older he takes on a lesser role and it becomes Eichel - Bergeron - Coyle. If you're acquiring Eichel you don't really have as much of a need for Studnicka as you're set down the middle. You also have Beecher/Frederic who could be #3C's for you and you'd have time to draft/develop.

 

[bruins4thecup65]

I can't see Buffalo trading Eichel to Boston but the Sabres are the Sabres.

NHL Notebook: Weighing the cost, challenges for Bruins in a potential Jack Eichel blockbuster trade | Boston Sports Journal
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After getting absolutely fleeced by St. Louis when they dealt O’Reilly (Patrik Berglund, Tage Thompson, Vladimír Sobotka, a 2019 first-round pick and a 2021 second-round pick was the return), methinks Buffalo is going to be more vigilant when it comes to netting a proper return for a star center.

Of course, given Eichel’s standing already as a top 15-20 player in the NHL, his age and contract, it’s pretty much a given that the Sabres would expect a king’s ransom for their franchise star.
Now, if Boston came calling following the 2020-21 season, what would a rebuilding team like Buffalo ask for?

• Draft capital is an obvious casualty of such a blockbuster, with Buffalo seeking a first-round selection in 2021 (and potentially even 2022) in order to replenish its prospect pipeline. (Toronto surrendered a pair of first-round picks to pry a 22-year-old Phil Kessel from Boston in 2009).
• Buffalo would also want a top prospect in any return for its franchise center. As luck would have it, Boston has prioritized pivots over the last couple of drafts — with Jack Studnicka obviously standing at the forefront when it comes to the B’s prospect pool. Other promising centers in Boston’s system include John Beecher and Trent Frederic.
• One or two NHL regulars — still young and under manageable contracts — seems to be a given here in terms of trade chips. Even though Boston would be wise to not part ways with a youngster like Charlie McAvoy, a player like Jake DeBrusk could be a target, given his age (24 in 2021), evident talent (averaged 23 goals last two seasons) and likely affordable contract after hitting restricted free agency in 2020. If Buffalo REALLY wanted to maximize its return in an Eichel trade, it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if the Sabres also snagged a defensemen from Boston — with Brandon Carlo standing as the obvious pick if McAvoy is off limits.

Am I overshooting what the Sabres might ask for here? Ehhhh, I don’t think so — not for a young superstar like Eichel.

Again, we’ve had stars traded for far, far less, but Buffalo NEEDS to nail this trade if it indeed decides to blow it all up and start anew.

So, what say you?

Would you pull the trigger on a move like this?

Boston Gets: Jack Eichel
Buffalo Gets: Brandon Carlo, Jake DeBrusk, Jack Studnicka, Urho Vaakanainen, 2021 1st-Round Pick, 2022 2nd-Round Pick

Serious overpayment!!!

DeBrusk
Fitzgerald or Vaakanainen
Kuhlman
1rst round pick

Eichel is not Gordie Howe

 

[member 96824]

Frederic and Beecher don't hold the value that Studnicka does. I'd move Studnicka in a deal for Eichel. Down the middle you're looking at (assuming DK is moved):

Bergeron
Eichel
Coyle

As Bergeron gets older he takes on a lesser role and it becomes Eichel - Bergeron - Coyle. If you're acquiring Eichel you don't really have as much of a need for Studnicka as you're set down the middle. You also have Beecher/Frederic who could be #3C's for you and you'd have time to draft/develop.

And Buffalo would say no to that DeBrusk, Beecher/Frederic, Lauzon/Gryz, 1st deal. We would riot in the street if that was the return for Pastrnak, so I don't think Buffalo would take that for Eichel even if he asked out publicly..which he hasn't. I'm not saying those aren't nice pieces for our org, just that we would get smoked by other teams if that was the best we put out.

 

[member 96824]

Serious overpayment!!!

DeBrusk
Fitzgerald or Vaakanainen
Kuhlman
1rst round pick

Eichel is not Gordie Howe

wait..what?

 

[ON3M4N]

And Buffalo would say no to that DeBrusk, Beecher/Frederic, Lauzon/Gryz, 1st deal. We would riot in the street if that was the return for Pastrnak, so I don't think Buffalo would take that for Eichel even if he asked out publicly..which he hasn't. I'm not saying those aren't nice pieces for our org, just that we would get smoked by other teams if that was the best we put out.

DeBrusk has decent value as he's a solid young scoring LW (ranks 42nd in goals scored by wingers over the last 3 seasons). Beecher/Frederic would be nice supporting pieces, but Studnicka would need to be the main center prospect going back. Lauzon is probably more of a supporting pieces as well, but Grz could be a top 4 guy on quite a few teams, however I think BUF need is RHD.

 

[PB37]

He's a franchise player and should command top assets to acquire

DeBrusk
Studnicka
Vaak
1st

for

Eichel

Even then, I don't think that perks their interest. While valuable to the Bruins, in essence it's a second line cost controlled LWer, a potential top 6 center, a potential top 4 dman, and a bottom of the round 1st rounder. A lot of other teams could beat that. But anything more from us, and it starts to hurt the team.

Marchand -- Bergeron -- Kase

XXXX -- Eichel -- Pasta

N.Ritchie -- Coyle -- XXXX

Nordstrom -- Kuraly -- Wagner

Bjork, Kulhman, Senyshyn, B.Ritchie vying for the XXXX spots.

 

[bbfan419]

Sure thats ideal, but your either going to have to trade a good chunk of the roster for Eichel or move an elite piece for an elite piece

I would not do it then, maybe try a deal with Krejci moves for pieces that you can flip as part of a deal for a younger Center.

 

[UConn126]

Not that we should, but if we look for another franchise center drafted #2 overall that was traded (we all know who I'm talking about) and what he returned, we should be able to get it done with Krejci, Kuhlman, Sennyshen, and Lauzon.

 

[DaStinger]

Naw, too much salary.

 

[PB37]

This is why I am so uneasy about Eichel, I keep reading/hearing stuff like this. A lot of it could be wrong but where there's smoke etc.

The Bruins have built a strong organization based on character and accountability. IMO someone like Eichel could poison that, it only takes one jerk to wreck a locker room even one populated by Chara & Bergeron. Who btw are closer to the end of their careers than to the beginning and may not want to babysit a problem child.

I think your speculation is wrong and and bordering on false info/slander. For example, here's one Bruins take on the Jack Eichel situation, Matt Grzelcyk: