Sabres not retaining salary makes it difficult for some
NHL Watcher: (thread) Elliotte Friedman on The Jeff Marek Show on the Jack Eichel trade front.
“I do know last week talks with Vegas got pretty hot and then they cooled…One of the things that I have been told that really complicates all this is that if Buffalo is not going to retain…”
“…I think teams have looked and said is there anybody else that will help us facilitate the deal? Let’s just say for arguments sake, if you ask say Arizona to pick up some of the money, you’re asking Arizona to do it for 5 years. What’s that worth?”
“All of those things are very complicated, I do think Vegas and Buffalo have tried, I have had people tell me they thought it was going to happen on Friday but it’s obviously not there”
Do the Flames have the pieces to land Eichel?
Hailey Salvian of The Athletic: (mailbag) Do the Calgary Flames have enough to make a solid offer to the Buffalo Sabres for Jack Eichel, and would the Sabres be interested in it?
Andrew Mangiapane and Matthew Tkachuk would be untouchables. Players like Johnny Gaudreau, Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson may not be in the age group that the Sabres are interested in.
Among the group that the Flames could offer up include Matthew Coronato, Connor Zary, Jakob Pelletier, Dillon Dube, and Juuso Valimaki. A future first-round pick could also on the table.
The Anaheim Ducks won’t move Trevor Zegras and Jamie Drysdale and possibly not Mason McTavish. How would the Ducks without those compare to what the Flames can offer?
The Flames would also need to clear out some cap space. Would the Sabres be interested in Sean Monahan?
Would an offer of Monahan, Zary, Pelletier and a 2022 first-round pick be enough for Eichel? Would another prospect have to be added to include Monahan and to keep Eichel from going to Vegas?