WGR 550: Darren Dreger on WGR 550 The Instigators when asked what he’s hearing about Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, and Rasmus Ristolainen.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
“But as far as Jack and Reinhart and Ristolainen are concerned, I checked , just more dialogue, and things are definitely heating up. We did Insider Trading on TSN and I think we had seven items, eight items and we could have had 15 just based on the conversations that are swirling around right now.
But what I think that is likely to happen with a big piece like Jack as an example, you’re probably going to not see a lot of trades between now and July 21st. I don’t think the expansion draft is going to motivate guys as much as it did with Vegas. I think that managers learned a lot from the experience and the horse-trading and trying to keep Kelly McCrimmon and George McPhee away from another player who they were going to leave unprotected, all that.
But I think that the dateline between the 22nd of July and say the 30th of July, 31st, so now you’re talking around the NHL draft, the 23rd, 24th, and then free agency on July 28th, I think it’s going to be mayhem. Which is great. Fantastic. So that is where I’m looking at Jack Eichel, in the window between the 23rd, well around the 22nd after the expansion draft and you know into late July.”
On Larry Brooks reports that the New York Rangers had done some investigating on Eichel, kicking tires.
“Ya, and I’m not at all surprised by that. I mean again, that speculation has been out there a long, long team. I would wonder what sort of stomach the Buffalo Sabres have for moving Eichel to the New York Rangers, but at the end of the day if the New York Rangers are presenting the best package, right, the best return, then you gotta consider it. That’s what it’s about. It’s about getting the best return and not worrying about what Jack Eichel is going to do with the next club. And the Rangers definitely have the pieces.
I think they are a little uncomfortable with the cap hit. They’ve got Mikka Zibanejad who’s probably a more complete player. He doesn’t have the star power that Eichel has offensively speaking, but we know he’s a real good two hundred foot player.
And look, just to shift it over to Chicago for a moment. The money matters here. Chicago is transitioning, continuing to push, but a real good source for the Blackhawks to me, as much as they love Jack Eichel and the idea of having him in their lineup, they got Kane, they’ve got Toews, they got DeBrincat that’s not that far from needing a new contract. As we were to learn from the Toronto Maple Leafs, you can’t have four forwards making that kind of money.
So even though there has been speculation around the interest of the Chicago Blackhawks have in Eichel. And I know Chicago has talked to Buffalo about Eichel. They’re more interested in a Seth Jones or a Dougie Hamilton. An elite-level defenseman.
And Anaheim has also been linked to Jack Eichel and the Buffalo Sabres. And I’m sure Bob Murray has talked to Kevyn as well. I don’t think that Anaheim’s interest is as high as what has been reported or speculated. Now, maybe he ends up there, but.
That’s gonna happen. The ask might have to come down for some of these clubs to truly engage.”
Host brings up that they need four first-rounders for Jack Eichel. Players that were first-round draft picks. Is that too high?
“I think that’s high Rivs. I mean I understand why you would ask for that. I guess it depends on the status of that player who was a first-round draft pick.”
Host notes that it’s quality and not quantity. Doesn’t been to be four pieces. Dreger:
“You nailed it right there. I don’t think Adams can go into this and say, “yeah, I need four or five pieces.” You got to sprinkle the wheat field here. I don’t think that’s it at all. It has to be quality. It has to be. That first-round pick that going to be included in this package, that matters a whole hell of a lot too, doesn’t it right? If you’re getting the 29th pick or the 30th pick in the first-round, well that’s fine but then the young player that’s coming back better be a developing star. Right? Otherwise, it’s not going to make sense.”