Latest On Jack Eichel
The Jack Eichel trade was “on the one-yard line” yesterday according to Emily Kaplan of ESPN, with the Vegas Golden Knights and Calgary Flames listed as finalists. Both clubs have agreed to allow Eichel to have the artificial disk replacement that he wants, but obviously, the Buffalo Sabres are trying to get the best package possible in return before accepting a trade.
If you were wondering what kind of package could get it done, Kevin Weekes of ESPN tweets that it is his understanding that the Flames have Matthew Tkachuk, an upcoming first-round selection, a player who was a first-round pick, and two prospects on the table. In any Eichel deal, a big-ticket salary (or several smaller ones) would have to be included, not only to open up cap space for the acquiring team but also to get the Sabres over the cap floor. Remember, Eichel is not yet on long-term injured reserve, meaning any acquiring team would need to have the space under the cap to land him before moving him off the roster.
Tkachuk of course would be that big-ticket, especially given his upcoming qualifying offer. When his current three-year, $21MM deal expires at the end of this season, whichever team has his rights will have to issue him a $9MM qualifying offer to retain them. At that point, given Tkachuk has already played in six seasons, he could simply accept the one-year, $9MM deal or go to arbitration to secure a contract that walks him right into unrestricted free agency in 2023.
Eichel isn’t expected to be ready to play for several months after the surgery is performed, meaning whoever does end up with him isn’t getting any help right away. The Golden Knights are dealing with quite a few injuries already, while the Flames are currently 6-1-2 and tied for first place in the Pacific Division. It’s hard to fathom either one making a huge splash right now, but reports have continued to indicate that a deal is on the horizon.
Flames head coach Darryl Sutter meanwhile isn’t giving up any information. When asked about the Eichel speculation today, he told reporters that he’s not aware of any talks and believes it is “just a media thing.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Los Angeles Kings Place Viktor Arvidsson, Gabriel Vilardi In COVID-19 Protocol
The Los Angeles Kings placed forwards Viktor Arvidsson and Gabriel Vilardi in COVID-19 protocol just minutes ahead of puck drop of Sunday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, per the team’s public relations department.
Arvidsson has had a decent start to his Kings career, scoring two goals and five points in eight games while averaging 18:25 per game, his most in three seasons. He’s posted great possession numbers to begin the season and has been a remarkable complement to the team’s top-six forward group.
Vilardi has just one goal in seven games after a strong rookie season last year, scoring 10 goals and 23 points in 54 games. He’s struggled to play meaningful minutes with the addition of Phillip Danault to the team, averaging just 12:58 per game as compared to 14:45 in 2020-21.
They’re big losses that add to a long list of crucial absences for the Los Angeles Kings, which includes Drew Doughty and Sean Walker on the back end.
Eichel Trade Talks Linked To Golden Knights, Flames
The Jack Eichel saga continues, though things are coming to a head according to several NHL insiders. Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff tweets that the Vegas Golden Knights are “well down the track” in Eichel talks with the Buffalo Sabres, but notes that there are still plenty of moving parts. Kevin Weekes of ESPN adds that the Calgary Flames are with the Golden Knights as potential destinations still, though he too notes that things remain “fluid and complex.”
It is important to remember that there are many factors involved here, including the Sabres’ own cap situation. Eichel is not on long-term injured reserve for Buffalo, and moving him off the cap would put them well below the lower limit. Any potential deal will likely have multiple players coming back, in addition to whatever draft picks are involved.
West Notes: Golden Knights, Eichel, Rakell, Hakanpaa
With all of the rumors swirling around the Vegas Golden Knights and Buffalo Sabres star Jack Eichel, the bold take right now may actually be the a deal is not imminent. There are quietly signs pointing in that direction as well. TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that trade talks for the elite center did in fact heat up earlier this week, but have since cooled. Dreger notes that there is mounting pressure on the Sabres to make a move with Eichel’s camp threatening to file a grievance with the NHLPA in regards to his deferred neck surgery. GM Kevyn Adams is well aware of that threat, but won’t let it dictate how he handles what will likely be the biggest trade of his career as a hockey executive. While Dreger acknowledges that just one phone call could shift the status quo, all is quiet for the time being. On the Vegas side, The Athletic’s Jesse Granger responded to eager fans that the Sabres are not even scouting the Knights’ Friday night game. If the two sides are close on a deal that is expected to contain at least some current members of the Vegas roster given the cap implications for both teams, wouldn’t Buffalo be getting all the information they can before a pivotal trade? Sure, an Eichel trade could very well happen and maybe it does happen tonight or this weekend, but those doomscrolling their Twitter feeds awaiting deal at any moment may be disappointed – Eichel to the Knights is not done yet.
- Another team interested in Eichel has been the Anaheim Ducks. While acquiring a player of his caliber is as far from a knee-jerk move as possible, the Ducks do have some added incentive today. The team announced that top forward Rickard Rakell has been placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed upper-body injury. The team did not provide any details on the severity of the injury or the expected length of Rakell’s absence, only stating that he was hurt in the team’s most recent game on Thursday. While Rakell has the appearance of a slow start with just four points in eight games, eighth in scoring for the Ducks, he has quietly led the team in goal-scoring with four tallies making up his only four points. Rakell is also leading all forward in ice time. The dangerous winger has finished no lower than second in team scoring in each of the past four years so his absence will certainly be felt. Vinni Lettieri, recalled to fill Rakell’s roster spot, is far from a suitable replacement. With division rival Vegas suddenly “close” on an Eichel deal, is the loss of Rakell the last straw for the Ducks to get them to jump back into the race and win the Eichel sweepstakes?
- Another player sidelined out west is Dallas Stars defenseman Jani Hakanpaa. The big blue liner has entered the NHL’s COVID Protocol, the team has announced. He has been ruled out for Friday night at the very least with the team likely to update his status this weekend. A free agent addition brought in to add some grit to the back end in Dallas, Hakanpaa leads the team in hits and in limited ice time at that. As he continues to learn from veteran pair mate Andrej Sekera, Hakanpaa could continue to develop into a great shutdown option for the Stars. They hope to have him back on the ice soon.
Sabres Hope Casey Mittelstadt Will Return After Road Trip
- The Sabres are hoping that center Casey Mittelstadt will be able to return to the lineup after their road trip, reports Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News (Twitter link). The 22-year-old suffered an upper-body injury in their season-opening win over Montreal and has been out ever since. Buffalo will kick off a four-game West Coast road trip on Thursday so Mittelstadt won’t be able to return until November 6th against Detroit.
Golden Knights Have Engaged In Recent Trade Talks For Jack Eichel
Talks between the Golden Knights and Sabres regarding center Jack Eichel have picked up in recent days, reports Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli. Vegas is off to a tough start to their season with a 2-4 record and bringing someone like Eichel in won’t exactly help in the short term with him still needing neck surgery which will take him out for several months, whichever version of the procedure he winds up getting. Seravalli adds that there has been some talk about getting a third team involved to make the financial element work with the Golden Knights tight to the Upper Limit of the salary cap as usual. Buffalo has insisted they won’t retain on the remaining five years and $50MM of Eichel’s deal although they are open to taking other contracts back to make the money work. Enticing another team to retain on Eichel’s deal would be costly – it has to be done for the remainder of the deal and not just certain years – but it would certainly make it easier to fit Eichel into their salary structure.
AHL Shuffle: 10/23/21
There’s no rest on the weekend for NHL clubs, especially early in the season when teams are still constantly tweaking lineups. With 13 games on the docket, all but six teams are preparing their rosters for game day as well. Follow along with all of the back-and-forth of minor league transactions throughout the day:
Atlantic Division
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled forward Brett Murray from the AHL’s Rochester Americans. The upstart Sabres suffered their first loss of the season last night and are right back in action today, hoping that adding Murray to the mix can help get them back on their surprising early track. Murray recorded nine goals and 20 points in 27 AHL games last year and got into two NHL games as well, so he is ready to take the next step this season.
- The Tampa Bay Lightning recalled defenseman Fredrik Claesson from the Syracuse Crunch, per a team press release. As young defenseman Cal Foote sits with Syracuse currently on a conditioning stint, the Lightning were only carrying 19 players on the active roster. The reacquired Alex Barre-Boulet was the only extra man. Claesson comes back up to the big squad, serving as an extra body and veteran presence at 28 years old.
Metropolitan Division
- Nick Seeler should be earning frequent Flyer miles for all of these moves. The veteran defenseman has been swapped between the NHL and AHL more than any other player early this season and is on his way back up to Philadelphia yet again. The team has announced that Seeler has been recalled from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, likely as insurance with Ryan Ellis still sidelined with a minor injury.
- The Penguins announced the recall of defenseman Juuso Riikola from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the AHL. His promotion was needed with Kris Letang entering COVID protocol. Riikola has 75 career games played in the NHL but only two were last season as he spent most of the year on Pittsburgh’s taxi squad.
Central Division
- Brandon Cain of On Tap Sports reports that the Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Reese Johnson from the AHL. The 23-year-old forward is off to a good start with AHL Rockford, recording a goal and an assist in the team’s first three games. Johnson played in five games with the Blackhawks last season while notching eight points in 18 games with the Ice Hogs. Chicago needs a spark – maybe Johnson can provide. The team has since confirmed the move.
Pacific Division
- CapFriendly reports the Los Angeles Kings have recalled defenseman Austin Strand from AHL Ontario. Strand will serve as the team’s seventh defenseman for the time being after Drew Doughty was injured in a game against the Dallas Stars Friday night. Strand got into 13 games with the Kings last season, notching his first NHL point in the form of an assist.
This post will be updated throughout the day
Sabres Notes: Eichel, Eakin, Samuelsson
Jack Eichel’s camp plans to make one final push to Sabres management about getting his desired disk replacement surgery and has been collecting medical opinions to support their desire, reports ESPN’s Emily Kaplan. The center’s case is well-known at this point and Kaplan suggests that the next step could be a grievance which, to this point, has been the last resort option. A handful of teams are believed to be in the mix for Eichel in a trade with Buffalo now being amenable to at least part of the return being conditional depending on how he recovers from the surgery. Of course, for things to get to that part, he has to have the surgery first and will be out for a significant amount of time regardless of which procedure he winds up having.
More from Buffalo:
- Center Cody Eakin has been ruled out for the next two games (including tonight’s contest against Boston) and will be listed as day-to-day after that, notes Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald. Head coach Don Granato appears to be targeting next Thursday’s game in Anaheim as a possible return date for the 30-year-old. Eakin’s off to a nice start this season with a goal and an assist in three games but will be sitting out the next few now.
- Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson returned to practice for the first time since suffering a lower-body injury in a prospect game a little over a month ago, relays Jourdan LaBarber of the Sabres’ team site. The 21-year-old won’t travel with the team for Saturday’s contest against New Jersey but could be ready to play soon after. Samuelsson played in the last 12 games for Buffalo last season, picking up two assists while averaging a little over 18 minutes a game.
Sabres Do Not Want To Retain Salary On Eichel Trade
Though there’s still no real news on Jack Eichel and his continued standoff with the Buffalo Sabres, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet did give a bit of an update on the situation last night. Part of that update is that the Sabres do not want to retain salary on Eichel’s massive contract, which certainly isn’t unexpected but does make trade more difficult.
In fact, Friedman notes that the Colorado Avalanche called Buffalo about Eichel, but when the Sabres said they wouldn’t retain salary the conversation ended immediately. That’s likely not the only contender in that situation, as Eichel’s $10MM contract is difficult to fit in for anyone pushing the salary cap upper limit. Buffalo is willing to take contracts back, but it appears as though they don’t want to be tied to Eichel at all moving forward.
Sabres Claim Christian Wolanin Off Waivers
The Sabres have added some depth on the back end as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman is among those reporting (Twitter link) that they have claimed defenseman Christian Wolanin off waivers from the Kings. To make room on the roster, the Sabres moved defenseman Henri Jokiharju to injured reserve.
The 26-year-old spent most of last season in Ottawa where he played a limited role, getting into 15 games with the Sens, recording three assists while averaging 13 minutes per game. After clearing waivers in late March, he was then traded to Los Angeles in exchange for Michael Amadio. With the Kings, Wolanin was sparingly used, suiting up only three times and was on the outside looking in at a spot in the lineup this season which led to his placement yesterday.
With the claim, Buffalo will once again have seven healthy defensemen on the roster and with Jokiharju set to miss at least a couple of weeks, Wolanin will have a short-term chance to stake a claim to a spot on the roster with the Sabres. It’s a low-risk pickup for Buffalo as Wolanin is making the league minimum of $750K at the NHL level with an AHL salary of $375K and a total guarantee of $400K.