darksabre

Yup. This is how I'm seeing it. I don't think, especially after the end of last season and the way he tried to play through some real debilitating injuries this season, that Eichel's attitude or effort or drive to win is in any doubt. I also don't think "attitude reasons" are a good reason to trade any player anyway.

I don't know. I don't think there's really a good way to handle "disgruntled franchise player who we as management have soured on is trying to bludgeon us into letting him have experimental surgery in the middle of our trying to trade him to reset the franchise".

It's basically what I've been saying all along. While everyone else was throwing Jack in the river for demanding a trade, I've never believed that that happened. If the Sabres trade Jack it's because they want to.

I wonder if Nick Foligno isn't on the short list of vet UFAs who could be had for a reasonable price/term. He's not totally washed yet so he can contribute a bit, but he's also not going to box someone like Cozens out of getting the minutes he needs to grow. He's got playoff experience.

Lol ***** Toronto media

Where do I sign

I'm not comfortable admitting how many assets I would allow the Sabres to give up to get Patrice Bergeron to waive his NMC.

It's a HUGE issue. If we're retrying the Gionta Moulson Gorges thing again, we need to get some bodies in here.

The biggest failure of the tank was always that, although we had a farm system, it wasn't filled with players who were ready to make the jump immediately. We had to wait for them. The second biggest failure was that we jettisoned way more of the good veterans than was necessary to achieve a historically bad team. They went much further with the gutting than Pittsburgh did and it put them on the back foot from day one.

That said, if it doesn't happen, it's because Adams has no problem with doing his FA work with Eichel still on the books.

Same. I think if it's going to happen it gets done by mid-afternoon. Teams are going to want to switch their focus to the opening of FA tomorrow.

I wouldn't even put that on the Sabres docs so much as the docs of every other team in the league. If none of these other teams would let him get the surgery he wants then they've basically justified the Sabres' approach.

PA predicting there might be another tank. Oof. https://www.sabrespace.com/community/topic/25281-housley-with-some-really-strong-words-postgame/?do=findComment&comment=989246

This thread has some interesting stuff

I'd be interested in revisiting all the stuff that came out back then about how there was a divide in the locker room between Jack and the vets like Gionta. I believe I was critical of Gionta at the time but maybe I was wrong...

I'm probably undervaluing Quinn a bit, but that's mostly because I didn't pay much attention to the 2020 draft and he's only played a handful of games on the Amerks so far. He's just not really on my radar yet.

Yeah I think that or another first or some kind of cap dump situation gets it done for me.

I wouldn't be happy with that for Eichel

You mean to tell me there are spheres of social media full of misinformation and people who consume it indiscriminately?

It's not quite the same situation, but we all remember that Kovi basically didn't want to play for the Devils anymore after the lockout. So he retired with like...12 seasons left on his contract to go play overseas. I'm just spitballing about how far Eichel might be willing to take things if he really, truly doesn't want to play another game for the Sabres but they refuse to trade him for a bad return. I have to suspect they wouldn't be too opposed to him simply leaving the NHL if they can't get what they want.

Can we get the thread title changed to Free Agent Frenzy? It's tradition.

Do we think the Sabres are ballsy enough to Kovalchuk him? Would he be mad enough about playing for Buffalo to retire from the NHL and go play in Russia or something?

I guess what I'm getting at is: if Eichel is deemed healthy (because Adams decided it was better to wait to try to trade him or make him play), will he refuse to play? If he refuses to play, what are the Sabres' options? I'm just wondering if some of the moves Buffalo is making right now are in preparation for some kind of drawn out contract battle with Jack.

Bumping this again because I've been thinking more about what it would mean for the team if the Sabres were dead-set on playing hardball with Eichel. If they want to trade him, but they can't get the price they want, what does Eichel do? Does he refuse to report to camp? What if he's recovered from his injury but doesn't want to play? Can the team suspend him? What are the cap implications of this?