Buffalo Sabres finally lower asking price for Jack Eichel
Jack Eichel has unfortunately become the «forgotten superstar» on the market as the Buffalo Sabres are still holding out for a trade.
But they seem to have gotten the message: lower the price. The Minnesota Wild pulled out of the sweepstakes because the asking price for the former second overall pick was too high, according to The Athletic's Michael Russo.
It was recently reported that the Sabres had demanded for the Vegas Golden Knights to give Reilly Smith, Peyton Krebs, Nic Hague and a first-rounder in return for Eichel. It's also rumoured that the Sabres would dare to ask the Montreal Canadiens for «Nick Suzuki, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Alexander Romanov. And they don't intend to settle for just one of those three players. They also ask for prospects and picks,» per RDS' Francois Gagnon.
Then, Eichel's agents took matters in their own hands, publishing an impactful statement on the trade process in Buffalo and saying more on his neck injury. Eichel wanted disc replacement surgery, with an artificial disc being placed in his neck. It promises a shorter rehab time, the potential for less loss of motion and far less potential for the necessity for future surgeries. But the Sabres' doctors aren't comfortable with a surgery that's never been done on a hockey player before
And so, this new information got interested teams some power in the trade pull and tug negotiations and it is now believed that the Sabres are giving in. According to the Twin Cities Pionnier Press, the Wild is back in the sweepstakes now that the asking price for Eichel was dropped.
«The Wild have been right in the middle of the sweepstakes this offseason, and if the asking price comes down, Guerin might throw his hat in the ring.»
I am pretty sure this is what Eichel's agents were hoping for: showing that Eichel is willing to get the best care done soon, work hard to recover and have an impact on his new team. This has most likely hinder the Sabres' plans to ask for much more, seeing that they refused to share the captain's medical records in the past when rival clubs came inquiring.
With the information now in hand, rival teams are expected to come calling back and the Sabres could be forced to accept a lower price in return for the face of the franchise.
