Jack Eichel and the Buffalo Sabres: A brewing storm

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T. Tadi
May 12, 2021 (8:09)

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Unless you've been living under a rock, you've heard about young Sabres captain Jack Eichel's allegations against the team, sparking rumors of a messy split on the horizon.

There's been a bit of a disconnect between myself and the organization.

Eichel said Monday.

It's been tough at times. Right now, for me, the most important thing now is to try to get healthy and figure out a way to be available to play hockey next year, wherever that might be.

Eichel, in his six years in the NHL, has yet to taste the playoffs, and the Sabres seem no closer to ending their decade-long playoff drought than they were when he was drafted second overall behind Connor McDavid in 2015.

This situation could be the perfect opportunity for one of the NHL's most astute general managers to step in. According to a Detroit News journalist, it might be worth considering.

John Niyo suggested earlier this afternoon that it wouldn't be unthinkable for Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman to ponder another significant hockey trade.

And the Wings? Well, no team has more salary-cap space heading into the summer than Detroit, and Yzerman does have the kind of prospects and future assets to make a viable offer for Eichel, an elite No. 1 pivot who's only 24 and under contract for five more seasons at $10 million per year.

Niyo continued,

I'm not sure there's a great match here on either side, really. If the Sabres are ultimately forced to deal their captain, they'd undoubtedly look to move him out of their division, if not the conference. And while Eichel's no-movement clause doesn't kick in until next summer, it seems unlikely he'd be keen on jumping from one rebuild to another, anyway.

Eichel's future remains uncertain, but his situation has certainly caught the attention of hockey fans and analysts alike. With a player of his caliber potentially on the move, the NHL offseason promises to be anything but dull.p

Source - HockeyFeed

Could Jack Eichel be the next trick up Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman's sleeve?