A big meeting regarding Jack Eichel‘s injury situation
NHL Watcher: Elliotte Friedman on his 31 Thoughts Podcast last night: “There was a big meeting in Buffalo. The league was there, the players association was there, Eichel was there, his reps were there, that was still when he was with Peter Fish, and the Sabres were obviously there.”
NHL Watcher: Friedman continued: “I’m not sure if the doctors were there in person or via Zoom I don’t know that 100%”, but I think everybody put their cards on the table, I think the players association wanted to hear everything firsthand and I think the league wanted to hear everything firsthand.”
NHL Watcher: Friedman continued: “Basically what I heard was there was no resolution. Everybody laid everything out, the Sabres position hadn’t changed, as a matter of fact I heard everyone was still pretty dug in and we’re still waiting to see where this is going to go.”
Potential Kotkaniemi fallout involving Eichel, Dvorak and Pettersson
NHL Watcher: Friedman on his 31 Thoughts Podcast: “I’m not sure that Montreal is really big on the Jack Eichel sweepstakes…we now know Eichel has switched agents, there’s a long history between Pat Brisson & Marc Bergevin…I just wonder does this change the dynamic between the Canadiens & the Sabres at all”
Eric Engels of Sportsnet: The Canadiens have already lost centerman Phillip Danault this offseason, and not matching the Jesperi Kotkaniemi offer sheet would leave them a little thin down the middle.
Matching the $6.1 million offer sheet would put them close to the 10 percent offseason cap. He’d be owed a $6.1 million qualifying offer next offseason.
If the Canadiens didn’t match the offer sheet, could they take the first- and third-round picks from Carolina and offer them up to the Arizona Coyotes for forward Christian Dvorak? The 25-year old Dvorak has four years left on his deal at a $4.45 million cap hit.
- NHL Watcher: Elliotte Friedman on his 31 Thoughts Podcast: “I could see Montreal going to Arizona and saying, how would a 1st and 3rd be for Dvorak? Do we the framework of a deal here?”
Could the Canadiens take the Hurricanes picks and include them in a bigger package for Jack Eichel? Would the Canadiens offer up some of their high-end prospects and be okay with Eichel having the artificial disc replacement surgery?
Though it would take some salary cap maneuvering, could they offer sheet Vancouver Canucks Elias Pettersson?