no

Posted by Hippy Dave from Somewhere West of Detroit on 11/03/21 at 07:54 PM ET

Not only is that a no, but that’s a laugh hysterically while hanging up the phone no

Posted by SauceBoss on 11/03/21 at 08:31 PM ET

No, but I also think he’s a cancer

Posted by ilovehomers on 11/03/21 at 08:32 PM ET

why is he a cancer?

Posted by Chet from twitter: thegansen on 11/03/21 at 08:37 PM ET

I wonder if SY could get involved and pick up a player from the team looking to acquire Eichel like in the OTT/COL/NSH trade involving Duchene a couple years ago.

Posted by SauceBoss on 11/03/21 at 08:56 PM ET

Not Sure what a past 1st rounder is?

Wouldn’t that just be another name for prospect??

Posted by Down River Dan on 11/03/21 at 09:40 PM ET

Sam Reinhart is arguably a more all-around centerman than Eichel and he went to the Cats for a 2022 first rounder and prospect (Devon Levi, G, seventh round, 212th) and then the Cats signed him to a three-year extension at $6 million per year.  Reinhart himself is a former first rounder going second overall to the Sabres in 2014.

(All info per Capgeek.)

In other words, the Sabres are asking waaaay too much.  Consider that the Flames at the rate they’re going (I know, impossible, but let’s go with it for now), could be a bottom 10 team in the 2022 draft.  Plus, the Flames do not have a third nor a fourth round pick in the same draft.

Whoever thought this up is bonging some choice grass.

Posted by SYF from impossible and oddly communally possessive sluts on 11/03/21 at 09:58 PM ET

This has to be a joke, right? I guess they’d be swapping jerks, but I can’t imagine this happening.

I’ve said it before but no way would I want Eichel in my franchise.

Posted by TreKronor on 11/03/21 at 10:52 PM ET

Why not? I’ve never heard bad things about him. This surgery dispute aside, of course.

Posted by Chet from twitter: thegansen on 11/03/21 at 11:34 PM ET

They’re apparently refusing to retain any salary.
So a trade partner would have to either have a ton of space
as well as picks and prospects, or be willing to take pay a third team something
to ease the cap hit.

That ask above is just crazy.
If Eichel were totally healthy and coming off a great season,
and just demanded a trade maybe you’d think: with our leadership group
and culture and talent, he’d give us a chance to win year after year.

But you’ve gotta first be ok with his preferred surgery and missed time to
recover and rehab and get back up to speed. Then you’ve gotta be ok with 10 million
and have space or pay more assets to shed some. Then you’ve gotta be convinced he’s not only not a longterm injury risk but in the right situation has the drive and elite ability to be that elusive number one center for you for the rest of his prime years.

This price has to go down significantly. Who has the assets and space and seriously wants him that badly?

Posted by lefty.30 on 11/04/21 at 01:46 AM ET

To me that’s the “after surgery - proved he’s able to go 100%” price, and last I checked he was still unable to play because of a serious injury requiring a fusion surgery/disc replacement. I think he has been an elite talent and believe he will be again, but that just seems like an unreasonable price based on his current condition and the uncertainty involved.

Posted by MZ2215 on 11/04/21 at 06:44 AM ET

I’m with Chet, where did this narrative come from that he’s a locker room cancer? I’m not saying he isn’t, I just haven’t read anything saying he is.

What would a Red Wing equivalent to this trade look like?
I’m thinking
Vrana
1st rounder (wings have option to push pick if 22 is a top 10)
Rasmussen (past 1st rounder?)
Emil Viro
Robert Mastersimone

Reasons to like it:
Point per game centers are extremely rare, and very hard to acquire.
Wings aren’t going to see Vrana until roughly before Eichel (assuming the trade happened now)
Still get a potential rebuilding pick this year and have a better chance of a mid rounder with a healthy Jack the following season
Rasmussen hurts, but Veleno easily fills his spot as 3rd line center
Emil is going to he great, but he’s likely to be buried by a slew of D prospects
It’s been a while since anyone’s mentioned mastersimone, so I’m not sure about him, but doesn’t seem like a guy who is going to Crack this wings roster in the next 4 years.

Reasons to hate it.
It’s a big one. His cap hit throws Yzermans salary cap structure way out of whack. Raymond could be asking for 11 after his entry level deal is up. It wouldn’t be hard to land in Toronto cap hell.
You aren’t sure what you’re going to get out of Eichel, but you also don’t know what you’re going to get out of Vrana at this point either.

Bert - Larkin - Raymond
Fab - Eichel - Zadina
Suter - Veleno - Names
Smith - Stephens - Erne
Gagner, Rowney.

Plus Bergren will be ready next season. He would kill it on a line setting up Eichel and Zadina.

Posted by Jdunc from Flint, MI on 11/04/21 at 07:52 AM ET

nevermind, he just went to Las Vegas for less.

Posted by Jdunc from Flint, MI on 11/04/21 at 08:48 AM ET

Looks like Buffalo was using the Calgary story as leverage in the deal with VGK.

Posted by dwgs on 11/04/21 at 09:30 AM ET