BUFFALO, N.Y. — I get where many of you are coming from when you say that under no circumstances can Jack Eichel be traded inside the division. Many feel it would be a mistake to trade him inside the Eastern Conference.
From everything that I’m hearing, Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams is somewhat in agreement with you. Adams would prefer to trade his captain to the Western Conference, and it seems like it will cost more to get Eichel if you reside in the East.
I strongly disagree on this. If the Boston Bruins or the Toronto Maple Leafs offer the best package by far, I think you’re hurting your team by not taking that package.
The whole idea is to make your team better. Now, this isn’t going to happen, but what if the Leafs offered Auston Matthews for Eichel? What if the Bruins included Brad Marchand or David Pastrnak in an Eichel deal? You say no to that just because they’re in your division? Because of Twitter, I need to stress again, none of those offers have been made.
The Anaheim Ducks have had quite a few conversations with Adams about Eichel. The Los Angeles Kings have put out through a beat reporter that they have no interest in Eichel, but I think that’s a smoke screen and the interest is there.
It’s possible that Adams has told the Kings that any trade for Eichel must include Quinton Byfield, and Rob Blake may have said he’s not willing to include 2020’s second overall pick. If I’m Adams, the negotiation breaks down right there.
The Ducks could put together an interesting package. Anaheim owns the third overall pick in this year’s draft.
Defenseman Janie Drysdale was taken sixth overall in 2020, center Trevor Zegras went ninth overall in 2019, and Maxime Comtois was a second-round pick in 2017. The 22-year-old netted 16 goals and 17 assists for 33 points in 55 games with the Ducks this season.
Much of any Eichel trade with the Ducks would have to include a number of those ingredients.
This year’s draft starts on July 23, and Adams wants a first-round pick back for Eichel, so I’m thinking a trade for him will likely be done before the 23rd.
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