Shopping Jack Eichel: Minnesota

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

We currently have 1 star player and no roster depth because we draft like a trash plate that was left in the sun while seagulls pooped on it for a month. 

So you're finally conceding that Reinhart is not a star then? Good. About time. 

[PerreaultForever]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

You may be right, but it certainly is a fan thing.

That said, the Insiders have listed the Wild among the teams heavily interested in Eichel. 

They may be, but as was mentioned, they'd want to dump salary and that's not something we want to be doing. We already have a Skinner anchor on our cap, we don't need more lost space. 

[dudacek]

I’ll say it again, the Wild have $17 million in cap space this summer. They can fit Eichel under the cap.

And clearing salary cap space by including a big contract like Dumba in the deal is not the same thing as taking on a salary dump. And taking on a salary cap dump like Rask (1 year at $4 million) is not the same thing as tying yourself to a Skinner.

[LGR4GM]

6 minutes ago, dudacek said:

I’ll say it again, the Wild have $17 million in cap space this summer. They can fit Eichel under the cap.

And clearing salary cap space by including a big contract like Dumba in the deal is not the same thing as taking on a salary dump. And taking on a salary cap dump like Rask (1 year at $4 million) is not the same thing as tying yourself to a Skinner.

Or as I have seen suggested Bobrovsky (10mil x 5 more years). 

[The Jokeman]

42 minutes ago, dudacek said:

What would you say to Fiala, Dumba and Rossi?

The only way I take Dumba is if we move Risto somewhere else. I would consider Fiala, Dumba, Boldy and Rossi more equal.  

[Ducky]

Eichel and Risto for 

Dumba, Rossi, Kaprizov, Talbot and a 1st in 2021.

Edited May 27, 2021 by Ducky

[LGR4GM]

3 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

So you're finally conceding that Reinhart is not a star then? Good. About time. 

I have never said Reinhart is a star that I can remember. I have however maintained and will continue to maintain to ppl like you that Reinhart is an exceptionally useful hockey player even if you your head stays firmly buried in the sand on the matter because Reinhart doesn't hit things enough for your tastes. 

Why don't you go talk to Pi about Reinhart, you two can have a meal and drink together while your mutual hatred for Sam festers and he continually proves you wrong. 

[Drag0nDan]

7 hours ago, dudacek said:

Will they be interested?

Highly. Minnesota has been surprisingly successful this year despite not having a clear-cut top line centre. In fact, it’s been the story for them pretty much their entire existence. General feeling is they see an Eichel as a bridge to becoming a true contender.

Do they have the pieces?

There seems to be a sweet spot in the Eichel trade market buzz for prospects who aren’t sure stars, but do have first line potential. The Wild have two such prospects in Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi. They have NHL pieces the Sabres could use like Foligno, Greenway, Erickson Ek, Fiala and Matt Dumba, who is vulnerable to the expansion draft. And they have two firsts this year.

Would this work?

Boldy, Rossi, Dumba and a 1st for Eichel

When the report surfaced that the Sabres were looking for the equivalent of 4 firsts in an Eichel trade, this certainly fits the bill. Boldy and Rossi certainly show every sign of being a Pominville/Roy level combo and Dumba effectively is a replacement and upgrade for Risto. Doctors would have to clear Rossi, just as they would Eichel. The Wild give up a hefty chunk of their future, but console themselves with Jack Eichel. It’s not as sexy as some proposals fans might prefer, but it is a solid, competitive offer.

Is there a deal to be made with the Wild?

 

I'd think you only get one of boldy/rossi.  Dumba has a M-NTC so thats up in the air.  Fiala probably wouldn't be made available.  Soucy might be interesting, but thats another LHD.  I dunno - they have the pieces to make it work, they just have to do it before the expansion draft.

[Brawndo]

6 hours ago, Hoss said:

What do we know about his health?

He’s been cleared to resume full hockey activities.

I would want to see the results of His 2 D Echo, Pulmonary Function Tests and an Exercise Tolerance Test if I was on the Medical Staff 

[dudacek]

2 hours ago, Drag0nDan said:

I'd think you only get one of boldy/rossi.  Dumba has a M-NTC so thats up in the air.  Fiala probably wouldn't be made available.  Soucy might be interesting, but thats another LHD.  I dunno - they have the pieces to make it work, they just have to do it before the expansion draft.

Dumba’s clause doesnt kick in until July 1.

That plus the Clauses given Suter, Spurgeon and Brodin is the reason Dumba is trade bait. He’s likely to be expose to the Kraken.

Edited May 28, 2021 by dudacek

[GASabresIUFAN]

11 hours ago, Thorny said:

Most of the guys listed here are dime a dozen across other teams' prospect pools. We don't make up ground with our "Weissbach and Rousek" because other teams have their own versions of that guy, more less. We have a few stand outs like Cozens and Dahlin and perhaps Mitts, but I'm not ready to count on any of the others to be impact players at this stage. I'm sure some will be, be we aren't making up any ground versus other teams in this regard unless an abnormal amount hit. 

Maybe if Ruotalainen reaches his "star" potential??

We have been at such a dearth on the real roster in terms of high end talent that we are going to need more than we can even get from Cozens, Dahlin, Mittelstadt et all to make up the *significant* ground we need to. But I know this is where we differ, the view of whether we need significantly alter the roster or more less stand pat 

That's also untrue.  For example Pronman in the Athletic had us with the 5th best group 22 and younger to start the season.  

[gilbert11]

13 hours ago, nfreeman said:

I remain skeptical that another team will part with premium assets before seeing Eichel back 100% from his injury.  

Then, let Eichel get back to 100% and show he’s healthy and take it from there. However, If the Sabres have a slow start, Jack’s unhappiness could rear its ugly head again and they could be forced into making a deal.

I do agree, though, this injury could likely affect any offers.

[Thorny]

3 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

That's also untrue.  For example Pronman in the Athletic had us with the 5th best group 22 and younger to start the season.  

How many years in the past decade have we had a top 5 ranked prospect pool? 

Give it a rest 

Moreover, the reason we have a place on the list you mentioned is exactly for the reasons I said: the presence of NHLers Dahlin, Cozens, and Mittelstadt (isn’t Pronman quite high on Casey?). Indeed, the only reason we feature is because the list includes our young NHLers and not just straight prospects. It’s not because we have Aaron Huglen.

Edited May 28, 2021 by Thorny

[Thorny]

 

[dudacek]

Can’t read the article, but it will be very interesting to see how many of Donnie’s meatballs stick.

Did the late-season roster prove the Sabres pipeline was actually strong, graduating Cozens, Mittelstadt, Thompson, Asplund, Ruotsalainen, Bryson, Borgen and Samuelsson into real NHLers, but also gutting it for the present?

Personally, I think the pipeline beyond those guys consists of four likely NHLers: UPL, Quinn, Peterka and Johnson. Which is pretty typical for an NHL team

[Thorny]

23 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Can’t read the article, but it will be very interesting to see how many of Donnie’s meatballs stick.

Did the late-season roster prove the Sabres pipeline was actually strong, graduating Cozens, Mittelstadt, Thompson, Asplund, Ruotsalainen, Bryson, Borgen and Samuelsson into real NHLers, but also gutting it for the present?

Personally, I think the pipeline beyond those guys consists of four likely NHLers: UPL, Quinn, Peterka and Johnson. Which is pretty typical for an NHL team

Which is what I was saying, only I was less concise. Our prospect pipeline in terms of the purely ungraduated guys is typical. It's not something I count as a significant variable, as it currently stands, in the equation of becoming a good hockey team. Which is to say, "X" is the ground we need to make up on..all? The other teams. Whether Cozens and Dahlin count as "prospects" at the end of the day is semantics. It's just my opinion that, - for the sake of argument, counting them "on roster" - that even with those players developed, or (especially?) as they are developing, *that* particular variable, while significantly positive, is NOT enough on it's own to make up the ground we need on other teams. This just speaks to the gap, more so than the strength or weakness of our "system". 

IMO this holds even before potentially liquifying Jack. It's maybe even inclusive of it - the gap will increase even more so and our "system" will improve. Timeline. 

Edited May 28, 2021 by Thorny

[dudacek]

10 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Which is what I was saying, only I was less concise. Our prospect pipeline in terms of the purely ungraduated guys is typical. It's not something I count as a significant variable, as it currently stands, in the equation of becoming a good hockey team. Which is to say, "X" is the ground we need to make up on..all? The other teams. Whether Cozens and Dahlin count as "prospects" at the end of the day is semantics. It's just my opinion that, - for the sake of argument, counting them "on roster" - that even with those players developed, or (especially?) as they are developing, *that* particular variable, while significantly positive, is NOT enough on it's own to make up the ground we need on other teams. This just speaks to the gap, more so than the strength or weakness of our "system". 

IMO this holds even before potentially liquifying Jack. It's maybe even inclusive of it - the gap will increase even more so and our "system" will improve. Timeline. 

There’s also the appreciation/depreciation and chemistry factors to consider, but your point stands.

 

[Drag0nDan]

15 hours ago, dudacek said:

Dumba’s clause doesnt kick in until July 1.

That plus the Clauses given Suter, Spurgeon and Brodin is the reason Dumba is trade bait. He’s likely to be expose to the Kraken.

Yeah, and they'd be wise to trade him before then.

[gilbert11]

7 hours ago, Thorny said:

IMO this holds even before potentially liquifying Jack. It's maybe even inclusive of it - the gap will increase even more so and our "system" will improve. Timeline. 

If Jack is liquified, I can’t see any team interested in trading for a bucket of human liquid.

[Flashsabre]

Dumba, Rossi, Boldy, 1st or Greenway.  That is my ask for Eichel from Minny. 

[dudacek]

According to the Athletic, Kaprizov is telling the Wild he wants to see a big move for a centre before he’s willing to commit long term.

Will that affect Guerin’s offer?

[Hoss]

9 minutes ago, dudacek said:

According to the Athletic, Kaprizov is telling the Wild he wants to see a big move for a centre before he’s willing to commit long term.

Will that affect Guerin’s offer?

I would hope so. Not only for the Sabres sake but when you're a team like the Wild that hasn't found much success and you get a promising young star like that you've got to step up and prove you're willing to take the steps necessary to put a winner on the ice.

I don't know any other franchise that I can say that about. I feel like there's a really obvious one I'm missing ... but I'm missing it. Any help?

[Flashsabre]

44 minutes ago, dudacek said:

According to the Athletic, Kaprizov is telling the Wild he wants to see a big move for a centre before he’s willing to commit long term.

Will that affect Guerin’s offer?

Excellent….Excellent.  Let’s get a couple desperate GMs competing with one another.

[LGR4GM]

If I am Buffalo... I seriously consider retaining 1million of Eichel's contract to help this trade along. 

[Thorny]

8 hours ago, Hoss said:

I would hope so. Not only for the Sabres sake but when you're a team like the Wild that hasn't found much success and you get a promising young star like that you've got to step up and prove you're willing to take the steps necessary to put a winner on the ice.

I don't know any other franchise that I can say that about. I feel like there's a really obvious one I'm missing ... but I'm missing it. Any help?

Maybe Nashville? Both those teams are kind of "always around it" but seemingly never a legit threat to go all the way. 1C the missing piece in probably both cases. We have the piece both those teams are missing, and they have the piece we are missing (the rest of a hockey team)