Eichel tops the agenda for NHL’S busiest agent
The busiest agent in the National Hockey League answers the phone by immediately saying he doesn’t have much time to talk. There’s still too much to do and too little time to get it done.
Pat Brisson, who represents Sidney Crosby, Nathan Mackinnon and some of the other biggest names in the hockey world, has to negotiate new contracts for Vancouver’s Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes. And he needs to find a new home for Buffalo’s Jack Eichel, who became his client only two weeks ago. And he has less than a month before the start of training camp to accomplish these tasks. “It’s all good. But it’s nuts,” said Brisson. On the front burner for Brisson is Eichel, who switched agents in late August to help precipitate a move from the Sabres. That he hired Brisson to help speed up the process made sense, since Brisson has a reputation as a problem solver — if not matchmaker. A year ago, he helped disgruntled client Pierre-luc Dubois relocate from Columbus to Winnipeg, then moved Anthony Mantha from Detroit to Washington, before shipping Seth Jones from Columbus to Chicago.
Eichel, however, presents a bit more of a complicated situation.
It’s more than just about finding a new home for a player badly in need of a change of scenery. It’s also about finding the right medical approach for a player who missed most of last season with a neck injury.
Eichel, who hasn’t played since March, wants artificial disc replacement surgery, a newer and somewhat controversial procedure that literally replaces his injured disc with an artificial one. The Sabres’ medical team, which ultimately has final say in the matter, prefers anterior cervical discectomy with fusion surgery, which involves fusing the bones together into one.
Playing peacekeeper in all of this is Brisson, who just wants the best for a player who has practically wasted the first six years of his career on a perennial loser.
A month ago, Sabres GM Kevyn Adams made it clear he won’t be forced into trading the team’s captain and franchise star. If he does, he expects full value. After all, Eichel is only 24. A year ago, he tied for 10th in league scoring and finished eighth in Hart Trophy voting.
The problem is, the longer this goes on, the worse the offers are likely to become.
At one time, there were multiple teams interested in trading for Eichel. But that was before the details of his injury and preferred choice of surgery became public. With Eichel’s future health in doubt, getting a deal that makes sense for the Sabres will be difficult, especially if he’s unable to start the season.
“It might be a little quick,” Brisson said of whether Eichel would be able to play in October. “The plan is to explore everything medically first and then collaborate with them on his options. I’m not getting ahead of myself. The focal point is Jack’s health and his well-being.”
Eichel isn’t the only Brisson client who probably won’t be playing in Buffalo this year. Owen Power, whom the Sabres selected with the No. 1 overall pick in July’s entry draft, has decided to return to the University of Michigan rather than jump straight into the NHL.
Optically, it might look like yet another Brisson client is jumping off a sinking ship. But Brisson said the Sabres have good intentions and that Power’s decision is more to do with what’s best for his development.
“Buffalo is going with a complete rebuild. They’re young,” said Brisson. “The decision from Owen and his family makes a lot of sense. Michigan is going to be a good team. If Owen wanted to turn pro, he would have turned pro. The majority of the young players drafted, in my opinion, could use an extra year. He can still sign at the end of the year.”