Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – August 22, 2021
Could the Ducks attempt to acquire Jack Eichel and Vladimir Tarasenko? Could the Flyers shed some salary before the start of this season? Find out in the Sunday NHL rumor roundup.
THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Eric Stephens was asked about the rumor linking the Anaheim Ducks to Jack Eichel. While Ducks management hasn’t publicly talked about the Buffalo Sabres center, they haven’t squelched the speculation.
Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel (NHL Images).
Stephens felt any trade for Eichel could take place during the season after the 24-year-old center returns to the ice and proves he can still play at an elite level. A healthy Eichel would fit into the Ducks rebuilding plan.
Asked about the possibility of acquiring Eichel and St. Louis Blues winger Vladimir Tarasensko, Stephens pointed out their combined cap hit is $17.5 million. That move would mean trading away salaried players. Tarasenko’s history of shoulder surgeries would also be a concern.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cap Friendly shows the Ducks with over $14 million in projected cap space. They have room for one or the other but not both.
I believe the Ducks are among the serious suitors for Eichel. They can afford to take on his full cap hit, they possess depth in young assets to use as trade bait and could use a young superstar like Eichel to rebuild around.
However, I don’t see general manager Bob Murray pulling the trigger until he’s got assurances Eichel is 100 percent in health and performance. As Stephens suggested, interested clubs could prefer to see him play this season before making serious offers to the Sabres.
As for Tarasenko, I doubt Murray would be interested in the Blues winger. Apart from his injury history, he turns 30 in December and is only signed through 2022-23. The Ducks GM wants assets that fit into his club’s long-term future.
NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Jordan Hall observed the Flyers will be right up against the salary cap when this season opens following their signing of Travis Sanheim to a two-year deal. He believes they’ll have different ways to become cap compliant before the start of the season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers have around $281K in projected cap space with 22 players under contract for the coming season. That doesn’t leave much room for other roster moves that might become necessary, especially if short-term injuries start sidelining some players.
They could demote waiver-exempt players such as Morgan Frost or Tanner Laczynski but it would leave them short another roster player. It could also get complicated if they play well enough in training camp and preseason to secure a full-time roster spot.
Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher was very busy wheeling and dealing in this summer’s trade market. Perhaps he’ll have another move in store to clear some additional cap space.
Ducks may try but Eichel’s heading to Beantown.
Only way Jack gets to beantown is if he plays for sabres this year and his no trade kicks in next year and he does what Taylor Hall did force trade to Boston other then that he will be here in summer time. Though he would be a great Bruin
Sabres don’t have to trade him. He’s under contract so if he wants a trade after his escape clause kicks in Peter Fish & Co. will have to come off the trade clause.
Eichel has no leverage.
Try Montreal
“Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher was very busy wheeling and dealing in this summer’s trade market. Perhaps he’ll have another move in store to clear some additional cap space.”
Well, we’re waiting?
Hi Rick
Who is Boston going to give up for Eichel ?
Than there is his health concern, degenerative disc in his neck area, which will have to be operated on, not just therapy…
It’s a tricky scenario, in my opinion
Best to just ignore the guy
Very risky operation, had it 2×’s 7 years apart and I wasn’t playing hockey!!
Some loss of range of motion after surgery also a possibility !! Replaced 2 of my discs with titanium discs, it just never feels comfortable, hard to sleep !
And if U play hockey and a hard hit that jars your neck could be a problem!! My own opinion!!
If Eichel does in fact begin the season on the Sabres roster…how do the fans react?
How does Eichel return to ice? Sure teams would like to see him play, but until he has one of the surgeries that’s not happening
“Stephens felt any trade for Eichel could take place during the season after the 24-year-old center returns to the ice and proves he can still play at an elite level. A healthy Eichel would fit into the Ducks rebuilding plan.”
No sh*t Sherlock.
A dozen other teams as well
Classic Catch-22. Eichel does not want the treatment that the Sabres are offering so he won’t return to the ice any time soon. He will only do the procedure that he wants which is his right as it is his body and health. So he won’t play which means that he won’t be traded. The Sabres are shooting themselves in the foot here.
I will speculate that if Frost or Laczynski make the team NAk will be traded.
I would also explore a Laughton trade and see what it might net in draft picks.
G-Coots-Konecny
Farabee-Hayes-Atkinson
JVR-Frost/-Allison
Lindblom-Laczynski-Laughton
Thompson
Provorov-Elis
Sanheim-Risto
Yandle-Braun
Morin
Hart-Jones
This team will get into the playoffs but not go far unless some tweaks are made in season.
Chuck just signed Scott to a five year deal. Said if he left, they would have to go out and find someone to fill his role. He’s not going anywhere. Frost has to muscle up, he played two games in the big and got his shoulder destroyed. Chuck isn’t trading Name, they protected him in the expansion for a reason.
MTL is not in on Eichel. MTL is more likely in on Tyler Bozak.
Or Derrick Brassard.
I agree. I don’t see Bergevin parting with the required assets for Eichel, especially with his uncertain health. Actually, that could probably be said for any team. But I do hope the Habs are indeed in on Bozak or Brassard, or even bringing back Staal for a year. A veteran center is needed for the 3rd line.
Let’s run this one up the ole flagpole and see if anyone salutes.
Bergy, Marchand, pasty
Eichel Hall, Smith
Foligno, Huala Studnicka
Nosek, Wagner, Curtis Lazar
Forbort?!?! McAvoy,
Carlo, Reilly,
Matt , Jakob
Swayman,
Ullmark
Baduh dah dah dah dahhhh I’m loving it
Off the top of my head, only player I see missing is Frederic. You got Eichel straight up for Frederic? Granato going to want McAvoy.
Slick62,
Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free….and RJM responded with…
Coyle, DeBrusk and Frederic for Eichel
Habfan. Lol. So Adam’s feeling charitable. Going to gift them Eichel. In division.
If Boston offered DeBrusk, Carlo, Frederic and Lysell Buffalo should say yes. Money should work. Hate to see Eichel in Boston, but best package should be Sabres goal.
Really can’t see Eichel playing in Buffalo at all. For starters, team would need to cave and allow him to get disk replacement. Even then, teams will be finalizing rosters over the next month. How many teams will still have interest or cap space when he’s back playing healthy?
Minnesota has assets and cap.
Surgery must happen before he’s traded or his value is discounted for the risk a team would take by trading for him. He has to have surgery and play at peak in order for Buffalo to receive the value they think he should bring. Four 1sts or equivalent. He can say no thanks, not getting that surgery Buffalo Sabres Inc. What are they gonna do, strap him down? Not pay him? This should get good. MN, Anaheim, Vegas…notice they are all West teams in the running. Calgary is now trying to wrangle him in.
One trade idea is Detroit who might provide the Sabres with a few players for the next season as well.
My guess is that the Sabres want to get rid of Skinner at any cost. So, they might settle for less when trading Eichel if packaged together.
A big splash would be Skinner and Eichel for Veleno, Berggren, Erne, Suter, Wallinder, Greiss, Detroit’s firstrounder in 2022 and a secondrounder in 2023. Will make the Wedding Rings fit better on the playoffs finger. If not given one.
Just one question Fred – when was the last time you saw a trade of that magnitude involving that many pieces? Certainly not since the advent of the cap era.
You think Detroit is going to give up 6 players (3 of them good prospects) along with a player they just signed who hasn’t even played a game yet for them with their 1st in the next draft for a 9 mil cap dump signed long term and an injured 10 mil center.
I would hope Yzerman tells the Sabres not to bother calling him again before he hangs up laughing. Yzerman just finished cleaning out all the bad contracts Holland left him and you think he will want to take on another one that is going to be on the books for another 5 years after this season? Sabres can keep Eichel and they can really keep Skinner. Sabres should be the ones giving up multiple 1st round picks with any deal that includes Skinner.