Frustration level reaches new high in Eichel’s camp as he’s become the “forgotten superstar” on the market

This has to be tough on Jack Eichel. We are still waiting for the Buffalo Sabres to trade their captain. And so is he. 

According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, the Eichel talks were “dead quiet” ever since free agency opened on Wednesday. His colleague Darren Dreger has added that Eichel has now become the “forgotten superstar” on the market and that frustration level is increasing in his camp. 

On Tuesday, it was reported that the Sabres had demanded for the Vegas Golden Knights to give Reilly Smith, Peyton Krebs, Nic Hague and a first-rounder in return for Eichel. This is the first time we had a clear look at will come in a return for the Sabres’ captain. 

The price tag for Eichel remains quite hefty as you can see above. That’s probably a hint at why the trade talks are absent at the moment. 

It looks like the Sabres are forgetting that Eichel played his last game of the campaign for the league-worst Sabres on March 7 before being ruled out for the remainder due to his neck injury. The team is reportedly refusing to share medical records with interesting parties, which is probably not helping. 

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Canadiens made a lowball offer to the Sabres in order to pry Eichel out of Buffalo. It was below the threshold and we wonder now if the Sabres have ruled out the Habs completely. 

Eichel is under contract through 2025-26 with a $10-million cap hit. We’ve heard rumours of many teams entering trade talks, not only the Golden Knights and Canadiens, but also the Minnesota Wild, Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers… 

While they might be quiet at the moment, it feels like we can hear Eichel’s frustration across the league…