TSN: Pierre LeBrun on Insider Trading said that Jack Eichel’s agent Pat Brisson has permission from the Buffalo Sabres to share more medical information with teams that are interested in trading for Eichel. Teams want conditions attached to Eichel’s health, the Sabres are okay with that.
“So, number one, some teams are now comfortable with the artificial disc replacement surgery that Jack Eichel wants to have, other teams not so much. But at least there’s some clarity either way.
In the meantime, teams that have circled back to Kevyn Adams and Adams has circled back to teams. What has happened in those discussions, I’m told, is that teams are saying we have to have a conditional component to any potential trade. Because we don’t know what Jack Eichel is going to be like when he comes back. We don’t know when exactly he’ll be back, although that surgery suggests four months. And so what the Sabres have said is yes, we’re going to have to have a conditional part to that trade.
That’s a big deal. That’s a big development because teams can now feel a little more safely in entering the next phase in trade talks. I don’t think a deal is imminent, but again, it’s another step in the process here as everyone tries to get this deal done.”
Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic: Sources are saying that Jack Eichel’s agent Pat Brisson and Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams are talking three or four times a day to try and push an Eichel trade along.
Brisson has been talking and sharing medical info for around 10 days now to bring some clarity on Eichel’s health.
The sense is that Brisson and Adams are working positively together but that doesn’t mean that a trade is close to being complete. That is the hope but there are still issues.
Some teams don’t like the idea of the artificial disc replacement, and some are okay with it.
Adding a condition to Eichel’s future help and possibly getting a start player at a reasonable trade price could get more teams interested. Eichel returning to form this season seems unlikely, but next season he’ll still only be 25-years old.
Eichel carries a $10 million cap hit, but the Sabres have tons of cap space to take back salary.
The Minnesota Wild and Philadelphia Flyers may not make sense anymore, and the same can be said for the New York Rangers despite the constant linking of the two. Believe the Calgary Flames and Anaheim Ducks still have some level of interest, and that the Los Angeles Kings aren’t involved.