Eichel to vegas!

[dejeanneret]

Without actually saying it out loud, many people have pretty much confirmed the Sabres dragged this out so long to stop Eichel from playing in the Olympics out of spite, which is so very Buffalo.

I've not heard/read anything suggesting that at all (well, I guess except for some people/posts around here I suppose). Who's been saying/implying that?

[The Comish]

In the last 365 days:
- 2014 2nd overall pick Sam Reinhart traded
- 2015 2nd overall pick Jack Eichel traded
- 2016 2nd overall pick Patrick Laine traded
- 2017 2nd overall pick Nolan Patrick traded

(quickly consults hockeydb.com to see who the 2018 & 2019 2nd overall picks were...)

I don't think Andrei Svechnikov (2018) is going anywhere soon, but Kaapo Kakko (2019, NYR) could be a candidate, especially with Adam Fox and Zibanejad's new contracts coming into effect next season - not sure they can go too high for Kakko, who will be RFA after this season.

[rataylor22]

Off the top of my head Wyshynski, Lambert, and Marek all have. Others have as well but names aren't at the front of mind. Again, it's the words they say and the words they choose to omit, but it's pretty obviously true.

[dejeanneret]

Thanks. I'll do some digging to find what they've said.

But why is that obviously true? I doubt it's true at all. If it were, why trade him now when there's still a chance he gets back in time? And why then were there so many rumors about Krebs being a non-starter on Vegas' part only to have Krebs now be part of it. I don't know; it's a pretty big conspiracy theory that just doesn't seem to add up to me.

Isn't it more likely that the Sabres weren't getting offers they deemed acceptable (including from Vegas), and Vegas ultimately upped theirs a bit due to the normal course of negotiations and/or a re-evaluation of where they stand (and may end up standing) this season given the number of injuries they've suffered such that the economics now became somewhat feesible in the immediate term with time to figure out how it works in the longer term?

Like an Occam's razor sort of thing....

[rataylor22]

It's been well reported now that this package was actually on the table this summer.

And as discussed already in this thread, there is zero chance an NHL team is going to let Eichel's first games in almost a year be at the Olympics.

[lucafen4]

Perhaps the package was on the table with the request Buffalo retain salary.
That would be enough for Buffalo to say no.
Vegas with Patches & Stone out figure they can squeeze out enough cap space to lift that request and voila.

[tweetdrivr]

Or maybe the lizard people finally came to an agreement with the grays to import the spice from Arrakis and then Capt Picard said engage and the trade was done. Unicorns and rainbows!!! Really - who the heck knows on this stuff. I’m glad I held on him in the couple of leagues I own him in.

[stevegamer]

(quickly consults hockeydb.com to see who the 2018 & 2019 2nd overall picks were...)

I don't think Andrei Svechnikov (2018) is going anywhere soon, but Kaapo Kakko (2019, NYR) could be a candidate, especially with Adam Fox and Zibanejad's new contracts coming into effect next season - not sure they can go too high for Kakko, who will be RFA after this season.

2013 was Barkov, so I think he's not going anywhere, either.

Regarding not retaining salary, I think that if they had a deal where the retain was small, say 1 million or less, that they liked better, that should've been preferred.

[Axeman33]

It's been well reported now that this package was actually on the table this summer.

And as discussed already in this thread, there is zero chance an NHL team is going to let Eichel's first games in almost a year be at the Olympics.

I am of the understanding that Krebs was the sticking point from the Vegas side and they didn't want to include him in a deal and one of the main reasons a deal didn't happen sooner. . Not sure where you read this package was on the table since the summer.

You've said a few times "well reported " but don't back it up with the actual reports.

[rataylor22]

David Pagnotta @TheFourthPeriod

Yup. Every indication this deal is more or less what was tabled in the summer. Had Buffalo accepted then, Eichel would be playing now.

....

[Axeman33]

....

More or less. No names mentioned in that tweet. Again, as also stated previously, Krebs has been the sticking point and the holdup to this deal happening earlier from the Vegas side.

[The Comish]

Can't wait to hear that the surgery was successful.

[PicklePickle]

Eichel said he wants to be back in 3 months

[pmorrow]

I heard in a podcast, I think it was Chris Johnston, saying the Sabres got better offers on the draft floor than this one from the Knights. Whoops

[Axeman33]

I heard in a podcast, I think it was Chris Johnston, saying the Sabres got better offers on the draft floor than this one from the Knights. Whoops

The question always comes back to whether salary was to be retained or not. Was that part of those offers. I have no doubt there were better offers as far as assets go IF the Sabres were to retain salary but that was somewhere they weren't willing to go.