Rumour: Latest development in Eichel trade saga “will cost him the entire season”

This sounds terrible to say but…

HockeyFeed
HockeyFeed
Published 2 years ago
Rumour: Latest development in Eichel trade saga “will cost him the entire season”
Zuma Press

For the past week, the Jack Eichel trade chatter has died down. He failed his physical at the Buffalo Sabres’ training camp and was stripped of his captaincy on Thursday. His trade and future remain in an impasse all because the team and its franchise player remain at an impasse over surgery options.

According to Darren Dreger, it is now very difficult to pinpoint when a trade will take place. 

“Well, it’s tough to pinpoint a timeline but we do know there is ongoing discussions with Jack Eichel’s agent Pat Brisson and Kevyn Adams, the general manager of the Buffalo Sabres. They’re on good terms, they have an excellent relationship. We also know that Jack Eichel will start the regular season on LTIR. Now, he saw a team of specialists over the course of the off-season. Some encouraged the artificial disc replacement surgery, however the Buffalo Sabres remain adamant that the fusion surgery is the best option. It’s possible that Eichel gets traded and has the disc replacement surgery under the blessing of a new club, but there’s no guarantee and it doesn’t seem like anything is real close on that front.”

As Lyle Richardson reported what Dreger said on Insider Trading on TSN, he believes that this impasse and time wasted on finding an interested team that allows him to undergo the disc replacement surgery he favors “will cost his the entire season.”

Eichel switched agents last month and is now represented by Brisson, who can make tough moves when necessary.  Eichel is under contract through 2025-26 with a $10-million cap hit and GM Adams is believed to be asking for a hefty return in exchange for his captain: he is reportedly seeking and not budging from his demand of the equivalent of four first-round picks,  which could be anything from young, established roster players, A-level prospects, or actual first-round draft picks in the next two NHL drafts.