SABRES CAN'T COUNT ON GREAT RETURN FOR EICHEL
A look at five possible trade destinations for star who has yet to reach his potential
The question surrounding Jack Eichel has changed over the past 48 hours.
It's not whether h's going to be traded during the NHL off-season. That much is certain following his end-of-year comments of a “disconnect” between him and the team regarding his health. Rather, it's whether the Buffalo Sabres can get enough value for him to make a deal worth pursuing.
After the miserable year he and the team have had — two goals and 18 points in 21 games before a neck injury ended his season — it's a question that isn't necessarily easy to answer.
Sabres fans might consider Eichel a superstar, or at the very least a top-10 centre. And with a US$10 million cap hit, he's certainly being paid like one. But the 24-year-old hasn't exactly produced at a superstar level during his six years in the league.
Nor would he even crack the top-10 when it comes to goals and points among NHL centres.
Prior to this year, 23 players had produced more offence than Eichel since he entered the league in 2015-16. Among centres, he ranks 15th in goals and 14th in points. He's never scored 40 goals. He's never put up 90 points. Only twice has he even finished the season with a point per game. And just once has he ranked among the top-10 in scoring, when he tied Jonathan Huberdeau with 82 points in 2019-20.
Part of that can be blamed on playing for a non-playoff team. But while the Sabres have been losers, they haven't been bereft of talent. In fact, from Sam Reinhart and Taylor Hall to Jeff Skinner and Evander Kane, Eichel has been surrounded with players who can fill the net.
At times, he's had far more to work with than Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews had.
And yet, you wouldn't put Eichel on the same level as McDavid or Matthews. He doesn't produce as much as Leon Draisaitl or Nathan MacKinnon. He doesn't play as strong a twoway game as Patrice Bergeron or Aleksander Barkov. He isn't Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin.
He's been very good, on par with the likes of Mark Scheifele and John Tavares. But he hasn't been great.
That doesn't mean teams won't be lining up trying to acquire a No. 1 centre who is just entering his prime and has another five years remaining on his contract. It just means that if you're the Calgary Flames, the bidding for Eichel probably starts with Johnny Gaudreau or Noah Hanifin — not Matthew Tkachuk.
After all, look at the underwhelming package Buffalo received for Taylor Hall. And that was for a No. 1 overall pick who had previously won a Hart Trophy.
With the summer approaching, here are five potential landing spots for Eichel:
NEW YORK RANGERS
With ownership growing impatient with the rebuild, all signs would seem to point to the Rangers making the biggest push for Eichel, who shares the same agent as GM Chris Drury and was coached in college by David Quinn.
What it could cost: The Sabres might not be able to turn down what the Rangers can offer. Adam Fox and Alexis Lafreniere are probably off the table. But from Kaapo Kakko and K'Andre Miller to Filip Chytil and Pavel Buchnevich, the Rangers have the pieces to put together a very enticing package.
CALGARY FLAMES
Imagine what Tkachuk could do with Eichel as his centre. Better yet, imagine what the Battle of Alberta would look like with McDavid's draft rival in Calgary. Either way, the Flames need to change things up after a disappointing season where they fired their coach and missed the playoffs.
What it could cost: This is where it gets tricky. Gaudreau has the ability to replace whatever offence Eichel provides, but his contract expires in 2022.
Meanwhile, Sean Monahan has two more years left. If cap flexibility isn't something Buffalo is interested in, maybe defenceman Noah Hanifin can be a fit — as long as Calgary also throws in this year's first-round pick.
COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
Patrik Laine is coming off the worst season of his career. And while some of his struggles can be blamed on John Tortorella's defence-first system, not having a No. 1 centre to get the puck was even more of a problem.
What it could cost: With three first-round draft picks (their own, as well as Toronto's and Tampa Bay's) and a bevy of young players, the Blue Jackets can put together a very enticing offer. But the player the Sabres should be asking for is defenceman Zach Werenski, who could be just what Rasmus Dahlin needs to take the load off his shoulders.
BOSTON BRUINS
A return home for the Boston native would put off the Bruins' rebuild for the foreseeable future and give the team two dangerous forward lines. It would also allow Eichel to drop down in the depth chart, where he might be better suited playing a secondary role.
What it could cost: It's hard enough to put together a package the Sabres would want. Even more difficult is making sure the salaries match up so the Bruins can fit Eichel's cap hit on the books. I don't see how either gets done without including Charlie McAvoy in a trade package — something the Bruins might not want to entertain.
LOS ANGELES
The addition of Eichel to a lineup that includes Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty would instantly transform the Kings into contenders. At the very least, it would inject life into a stagnant offence that lacked a 20-goal scorer this year.
What it could cost: Buffalo fans would probably be very happy if the team could swap Eichel for last year's No. 2 overall pick, Quinton Byfield. The Kings, meanwhile, would probably rather hang onto Byfield, who has the potential to be as good as Kopitar, and instead dangle Gabriel Vilardi or Alex Turcotte in some form of package.