TSN: Pierre LeBrun on TSN’s OverDrive radio show with Bryan Hayes and Dave Feschuk on the latest involving Jack Eichel and the Buffalo Sabres. What are the options out there now that the New York Rangers may be out after extending Mike Zibanejad.
“Yeah, and I checked with a Sabres source today and I basically got the sense that it was status quo. Which is not negative as we reported last week that things had finally started to unfreeze on that front. That teams’ now, because they got medical info had started to circle back to the Sabres. So we’re in the midsts of that now. I mean that process is long.
I do think there are potential landing spots for Jack Eichel. I mean, I think the Anaheim Ducks from the beginning have always made sense to me.
Because whoever trades for Jack Eichel this year knows they aren’t getting him for at least four months, if not longer depending on his recovery. So it has to be a team who probably doesn’t think, or at least a team that knows that it can live without that kind of player, not to mention the players you’re sending back in that trade.
So it’s not for every team to be involved in it. I think St. Louis is an under-the-radar team lurking out there. Now again, the Blues, they want to contend this year so it might be harder for them.
Calgary I know have done their due diligence on him.
So listen, I think that, I wonder if at some level about San Jose. Only because, depending on what ends up happening with Evander Kane. If Evander Kane is off the books in some way or another, depending on what the NHL decides, suddenly they got cap room and that Jack Eichel is 24 and the Sharks are trying to transition into a younger team. So I kind of wonder about them.
There are definitely options out there but it’s a tricky thing. Once you come to a price for Jack Eichel and part of the price will be conditional, right. You have to have assurances from the Sabres that depending on Eichel’s health when he returns from this very unique surgery, that you’re protected on some of the assets you’re paying.
So that’s number one and the Sabres know that. I reported that last week. Number two, he has to come to your team, meet with their doctors, have the surgery and then have a long recovery.
So this is a prolonged process here. I’ve seen Jack Eichel on the ice in another uniform for quite a while here.