nfreeman

But there is no reason for the Sabres to do this. Right now, they are looking at a $12.5MM loss (assuming 75% insurance coverage on Eichel's $50MM deal). It only makes sense for them to change the status if either their financial exposure is reduced or if they get a compelling trade package, or some combination of those 2 items. They aren't going to do anything that worsens their position. From their perspective, they can sit back and let the inaction drive Jack crazy and let the pressure build on GMs of losing teams.

That doesn't strike me as realistic either. I don't think the 30 other owners would view it as in their interests to help the Sabres or Eichel, or at least not $50MM in their interests (or $20MM or whatever their piece would be), and I doubt the players would want much if any of the financial obligation either.

Respectfully, I don't think this is realistic. If he goes on LTIR, someone is paying him a non-insured $50MM. If the plan is for the Sabres to be protected, that means that it's a different team that is paying the $50MM -- and has agreed to do so AFTER the ADR has failed and left Jack unable to play. The only reason a team would do so, as you point out, would be for the cap space. If a wealthy team would be willing to pay $10MM in cash per year x 5 years for nothing except cap space -- and I think there are maybe 2 or 3 teams in the NHL who would do this, and TB isn't one of them -- in order to create this cap space, they'd need to send $10MM per year in contracts back to the Sabres in exchange for Jack's $10MM in LTIR space. So who would the Sabres get? At that point, the Sabres would have zero leverage, since they'd be left with a broken Eichel. They wouldn't get the other team's best prospects and rising star RFAs -- they'd get the other team's Okposo or Skinner. Bottom line IMHO is that there is no way for the Sabres not to end up bearing the risk if they allow Jack to have the ADR while he is under contract with them. For that matter, even if his contract is voided, the Sabres are still worse off than they are now in all scenarios other than a full recovery that is somehow demonstrably sustainable.

With the Sabres bearing the risk?

TIL that if you want to bring your dog to France…your dog needs a passport!

The guys that left or are leaving never smiled like that. Not in many moons, anyway. And that was a vintage Skinner goal for the GWG. Wouldn’t that be something if Donnie got him back in the saddle.

Usually when Buffalo sports are flying high, the bubble gets burst thoroughly and cruelly. Last night felt like the first shoe to drop. Maybe it'll be different this time.

TN’s D was substantially better than the Bills’ D, especially on the pass rush.

Allen made a lot of good plays and a lot of mistakes as well. I did not like the offensive play-calling for the most part. And the D got worked. No pass rush in the 2nd half.

Stupid.

They can't really be going for it here.

TN has scored on 6 possessions in a row.

Diggs is freaking great.

Wow. Are you on drugs? WTF are you talking about?

They should've challenged the Beasley play at the goal line and they should NOT have JA sneaking there.

Did you not see the catch on 3rd down about 90 seconds ago?

Beasley is great.

Much better pass protection on that 1st Bills drive.

That was a fantastic play by JA.

It is way, way too early to come to any kind of conclusions about UPL, with one exception: it would be insane to assume that he'll be part of the solution in goal for the Sabres this year.

What a terrible thread this is so far. @Nozlen -- nobody is interested in a bet about you deleting your account. Just post your hockey thoughts in this and other threads, contribute to the conversation and don't get in childish arguments with other posters.

As others have pointed out, it's not binary, and the GMs who are considering trading for Eichel aren't looking at it that way. They are pricing in the risk, which is substantial, that the injury will be debilitating. (For that matter, their doctors aren't giving them a binary risk assessment either. They're saying he might come all the way back and he might not.) That's why no one has ponied up their crown jewel prospects since Eichel demanded out 6 months ago, and why no one is going to do so unless their team gets off to a bad start and they feel pressure to make a move. Similarly -- they will be on the same page in the sense that the acquiring team will be OK with the ADR surgery, but not in the sense that the acquiror will be as confident in a full recovery as Jack is. It is simply not realistic to expect an acquiror to go all in and give up their crown jewels for him on top of the uninsurable $50MM commitment, unless there is a significant new development. Otherwise it would've happened already.

I'd guess that KA's plan at this point is to wait and see if teams like the Rangers and the Habs get off to bad starts and their GMs start to feel pressure to make a deal and thereby raise the price they're willing to pay for Eichel. Right now, as I've said previously, I don't think anyone is going to give up their premium prospects for Eichel due to the injury, but 20 games into a bad start could change someone's mind.

Holy mackerel that is a great freaking letter. I’m one of the jamokes that has been critical of KO but so far so good this year.