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Jack Eichel Changes Agents

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The Jack Eichel saga has a new twist today, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the disgruntled Buffalo Sabres center will now be represented by Pat Brisson of CAA Sports. Eichel had previously been represented by Peter Fish and Peter Donatelli of Global Hockey Consultants.

The move comes less than a month after his previous representation released a statement to various media outlets, indicating that they expected Eichel to be traded prior to the start of NHL free agency. That didn’t seem to speed the process along at all, and as Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News wrote in a column earlier this month, it may well have made it more difficult for Sabres GM Kevyn Adams to complete a deal in the immediate aftermath.

Eichel is currently injured, and though both sides agree that surgery is required, the specific procedure is still a point of contention. It is not clear if there has been any movement on this front over the last few weeks, but a change in representation is significant nonetheless.

Brisson is not a small fish by any means, in fact, he is one of the leading power brokers among NHL agents. According to PuckPedia, he has negotiated more than $1 billion in active contracts and represents some of the most well-known stars in the game–Sidney Crosby, John Tavares, Jonathan Toews, Nathan MacKinnon, and Patrick Kane among them. Adding Eichel is obviously a win for the agency, but the player also now has even more power behind him.

Still, no matter how much juice his representation has, Eichel is still at the mercy of the Sabres at this point. Adams has been clear that the team will stay “in control of this process” and only trade their former franchise player when they receive an offer good enough. Fans of the team will be quite familiar with the concept of trading away disgruntled centers, and Adams is trying very hard not to have a repeat of the Ryan O’Reilly debacle of 2018.

That doesn’t mean it will be easy. It’s clear that while Eichel’s time in a Buffalo uniform is likely over, there is no simple resolution to be had.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Sabres Supportive Of Power's Decision

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When the Buffalo Sabres secured the first-overall pick in this year’s draft, they had a decision to make. Usually, the top pick in a draft steps directly into the NHL and is given a full-time role on his team. This year, things were different with Owen Power, the consensus top prospect. The big defenseman had already hinted publicly that he was leaning toward a return to the University of Michigan, meaning he wouldn’t be able to help the Sabres during the early part of the season. As revealed today in a behind the scenes video from their pre-draft interview, Power didn’t just hint, he made it quite clear that he wanted to go back to school.

The Sabres, even then, were on board with the idea. GM Kevyn Adams told Power that he loved what he had said about returning to school to chase a national championship and dominate the college scene with no rush to get to the NHL. Michigan should be a powerhouse this season with not only Power returning, but also second-overall pick Matty Beniers and fifth-overall Kent Johnson also returning to the program. Add in fourth-overall Luke Hughes, who will be a freshman with the Wolverines, and it’s easy to see why Power would want to take at least one last crack at an NCAA title before turning pro.

Owen Power Returning To Michigan For 2021-22

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Friday: The Wolverines have now confirmed that not only Power, but also Beniers and Johnson will return to Ann Arbor this season. The trio of top-ten picks had all hinted at their desire to return to Michigan, where they will be surrounded by numerous other NHL prospects, to take another shot at an NCAA Championship. There is no doubt that this official announcement makes the team the heavy favorites to win it all in 2021-22.

Thursday: The first-overall pick in this year’s draft will not sign with the Buffalo Sabres just yet. Owen Power has made his decision and will return to the University of Michigan for the 2021-22 season, according to Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News. This does not mean that Power is refusing to sign with the Sabres or that the team is at any risk of losing his draft rights. Instead, it is just a player that missed out on the full college hockey experience in a COVID-restricted 2020-21, and will return to school to take a shot at a national championship with a loaded Wolverines squad.

There’s no rush for Power to make his NHL debut, especially since the Sabres are going through another rebuild at the moment. Sam Reinhart, Linus Ullmark and Rasmus Ristolainen have all found new homes, while Jack Eichel’s future with the team is still uncertain. If Power signed right away, the first season of his three-year entry-level deal would be burned on a team that has little hope of making the playoffs–and in truth is hoping for another high pick in the 2022 draft. It’s actually probably better for the Sabres that he’s going back to school, as long as Power doesn’t suffer a career-altering injury or something else that will affect his long-term outlook.

The 6’6″ defenseman was a monster for Michigan as a freshman, scoring 16 points in 26 games and getting better every time he touched the ice. He showed that aptitude for growth again at the IIHF World Championship when playing for Team Canada, starting the tournament as an extra defenseman and finishing it on the top pairing. There’s very little Power can’t do on a hockey rink, as he floats around the ice using long, efficient strides to close off gaps or jump into the rush. While he may not have the offensive upside of players like Cale Makar or even maybe future teammate Rasmus Dahlin, he should be a lock to play big minutes in the NHL when he finally arrives.

With three of the top five picks this year already playing for Michigan, and a fourth in Luke Hughes set to join them, the Wolverines will be one of the most dynamic programs to watch in all of college hockey. Power, Hughes, Matty Beniers and Kent Johnson—should they all decide to return instead of signing in the NHL—form the backbone of a deep lineup that could probably rival some professional teams. Obviously, there’s no guarantee that they go all the way to a title as there are other great programs as well, but there’s little doubt that Power will be playing more meaningful hockey (at least in terms of title contention) by going back to Michigan this season.

It doesn’t mean he won’t see some time in a Sabres uniform though. Depending on how their season goes, the Wolverines could be finished in time for those top names to sign an NHL deal and get playing time down the stretch. Even if that doesn’t happen, it’s hard to see Power returning for 2022-23 (though obviously not impossible), when a full-time NHL role will be waiting for him.

Sabres Hire Tim Kennedy, Nathan Paetsch

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  • The Buffalo Sabres continue to bring back former players, this time hiring Tim Kennedy and Nathan Paetsch as development coaches. Both spent time with the Sabres during their playing days and will get a chance to work with Adam Mair and Dan Girardi in the Buffalo development team. Paetsch, who played 167 games at the NHL level, also served as a sort of player-coach with the Rochester Americans between 2017-20.

Casey Fitzgerald Signs With Buffalo Sabres

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The Buffalo Sabres have brought back Casey Fitzgerald, bringing back the young defenseman on a two-year contract. The deal will carry an average annual value of $750K. CapFriendly reports that the deal will come with a $125K AHL salary in 2021-22 and a $300K AHL salary in 2022-23.

Fitzgerald, 24, was a third-round pick of the Sabres back in 2016, but still hasn’t made his debut at the NHL level. Part of that is because he’s been unable to stay healthy, with just 51 AHL contests under his belt to this point, but part is also that he hasn’t been able to find the same kind of offensive consistency that he showed in his early years with Boston College. In fact, Fitzgerald’s scoring numbers declined in each of his four seasons at BC as he transitioned into a pure shutdown option–even winning Hockey East’s Best Defensive Defenseman award in 2018.

The problem is that at the NHL level, it’s hard to be a defensive option standing just 5’11”. More and more teams are looking for size and length on the blueline, something that Fitzgerald is just never going to be able to bring no matter how hard he works.

Perhaps that’s why the deal has such a strong minor league salary. Fitzgerald is likely headed back to the Rochester Americans where he can really help the minor league club find success.

Salary Cap Lower Limit Complicates Jack Eichel Trade

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The Buffalo Sabres have been expected to trade Jack Eichel for months. His neck injury this season caused a difference of opinion between his camp and the team, leading to a lack of trust, which only exasperated a tough situation. Eichel has been in Buffalo for six seasons but has still not suited up for a single playoff game. On the other side, the Sabres have been paying him $10MM per season for three years without any postseason revenue to show for it. A split seemed inevitable, but there are many complicating factors.

One of them that has been discussed at length is that $10MM cap hit and how it is difficult for other teams to fit under the cap ceiling. Eichel is a top player when healthy, but his injury situation makes it an extremely risky proposition for anyone interested in acquiring his services.

There’s another complication caused by his contract though, and this one has gotten far less attention. In fact, it’s basically the opposite problem of an acquiring team not being able to afford Eichel. The Sabres can’t really afford to take him off the books at this point.

Right now, there are two teams in the league that are actually well short of the salary cap’s lower limit of $60.2MM–the Ottawa Senators and, you guessed it, the Buffalo Sabres. According to CapFriendly, Buffalo currently sits at a projected cap hit for the 2021-22 season of just $52,897,763, more than $7.3MM under the lower limit. “But they have Casey Mittelstadt, Rasmus Dahlin and Henri Jokiharju to sign!” you might say, and that’s true, those three restricted free agents will likely take them well over the salary cap floor.

The problem is, that projection is including the $10MM owed to Eichel. If the team trades him, suddenly they’re more than $17.3MM under the lower limit, a number that will be a lot harder to make up with three restricted free agent deals.

Buffalo has already moved out some of their high-priced talent this offseason, trading away Rasmus Ristolainen and Sam Reinhart. They watched Linus Ullmark and Jake McCabe walk in free agency, replacing them with 40-year-old Craig Anderson for league minimum and Mark Pysyk at $900K. For whatever reason, they had the New Jersey Devils retain part of Will Butcher’s contract, making him cost even less for them.

Moving Eichel out of this financial puzzle right now for nothing but futures would mean several other moves would have to follow just to get the Sabres cap compliant for the start of the year. This isn’t really a situation that has ever played out in the NHL, but it’s one of their own making. Buffalo has been aggressively shedding salary all summer to restock the prospect and draft cupboards, but the side effect of those moves is that the last big chip is now an even more complicated piece to trade.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

History With Don Granato Helped Attract Vinnie Hinostroza To Sabres

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  • The Sabres have been quiet in free agency so far with the biggest contract handed out being a one-year, $1.05MM deal for winger Vinnie Hinostroza. The 27-year-old told Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News that his history with Buffalo head coach Don Granato played a big role in his decision to sign there.  Hinostroza had 25 points in 50 games with Chicago back in 2017-18 when Granato was an assistant coach before being moved in the 2018 summer to Arizona.  He finished up on a high note last year after rejoining Chicago, notching a dozen points in 17 games.

Sabres Sign Mason Jobst And Josh Teves To AHL Contracts

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  • The Sabres have added some AHL depth as AHL Rochester announced the signings of forward Mason Jobst and defenseman Josh Teves to one-year deals. Jobst, 27, split last season between the farm teams for the Islanders and Devils after being included in the Kyle Palmieri trade and notched 10 points in 19 games between the two teams.  As for Teves, the 26-year-old was a sought-after blueliner out of college and made his NHL debut soon after signing with Vancouver in 2019.  However, he didn’t progress much and after spending most of his first full pro campaign in the ECHL, he had just four points in 23 games with Utica last season.

Rochester Americans Hire Mike Peca

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The Rochester Americans are bringing in a face that’s familiar to many Buffalo Sabres fans, hiring Michael Peca as an assistant coach for the AHL club. Peca will replace Adam Mair, who has been named director of player development for the Sabres. Jason Karmanos, GM of the Americans, released a short statement on the hire:

Michael brings a wealth of experience as both a player and coach and will be a tremendous addition to our coaching staff in Rochester. He will play an integral role in the development of our prospects, and we look forward to him making an immediate impact for our organization.

Peca, 47, spent last season with the Washington Capitals as a development coach, but before that was part of the Buffalo Jr. Sabres program. A veteran of nearly 1,000 NHL games, he served as captain of the Sabres for four years, leading them to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1999. An Olympic gold medalist and two-time Selke Trophy winner, there’s plenty of knowledge and experience that Peca can impact on the young Sabres prospects.

That player development is key for a Sabres team that needs more than just the top picks to become NHL players. If they want to reach a level of contention, some of the team’s mid-round or even undrafted prospects will have to start providing value at the highest level. Peca’s job will now be to help guide those young players along the pipeline, showing them the path he took from the second round to the NHL.

Golden Knights, Rangers Among Teams Still Interested In Jack Eichel

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The Rangers and Golden Knights are among the teams that are still interested in Sabres center Jack Eichel, notes Larry Brooks of the New York Post.  Brooks suggests that Buffalo retaining salary might be enough to get New York to part with a top young asset like Kaapo Kakko in a deal although with five years left on that contract, retaining would be a sizable cost for Buffalo which may not be something they want to do.  Meanwhile, Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon mentioned earlier in the week that he expected that the team they have now is what they’ll go into training camp with but as we’ve seen in the past, they’re willing to make big moves and move players around to make the salary cap fit work.

  • Still regarding Eichel, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News posits that the statement his agents released on Friday isn’t going to help the trade process along as GM Kevyn Adams won’t want to acquiesce now and create any appearances that the statement forced his hand. While the clock is ticking for him to have the artificial disk replacement surgery that he’s seeking and be ready for training camp, Sabres doctors won’t sign off on that and are pushing for standard fusion surgery which carries a longer recovery time.  We’ll find out soon enough if there’s a team that’s willing to meet Buffalo’s price tag or if this process will drag out longer.

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