The Jack Eichel trade was “on the 1-yard line” on Tuesday, according to Emily Kaplan of ESPN, with the Vegas Golden Knights and Calgary Flames listed as finalists. Both clubs have agreed to allow Eichel to have the artificial disk replacement that he wants, but obviously, the Buffalo Sabres are trying to get the best package possible in return before accepting a trade.
If you were wondering what kind of package could get it done, Kevin Weekes of ESPN says that it is his understanding that the Flames have Matthew Tkachuk, an upcoming first-round selection, a player who was a first-round pick and two prospects on the table. In any Eichel deal, a big-ticket salary (or several smaller ones) would have to be included, not only to open up cap space for the acquiring team but also to get the Sabres over the cap floor. Remember, Eichel is not yet on long-term injured reserve, meaning any acquiring team would need to have the space under the cap to land him before moving him off the roster.
Tkachuk, of course, would be that big-ticket, especially given his upcoming qualifying offer. When his current three-year, $21M deal expires at the end of this season, whichever team has his rights will have to issue him a $9M qualifying offer to retain them. At that point, given Tkachuk has already played in six seasons, he could simply accept the one-year, $9M deal or go to arbitration to secure a contract that walks him right into unrestricted free agency in 2023.
Eichel isn’t expected to be ready to play for several months after the surgery is performed, meaning whoever does end up with him isn’t getting any help right away. The Golden Knights are dealing with quite a few injuries already, while the Flames are currently 6-1-2 and tied for first place in the Pacific Division. It’s hard to fathom either one making a huge splash right now, but reports have continued to indicate that a deal is on the horizon.
Flames head coach Darryl Sutter, meanwhile, isn’t giving up any information. When asked about the Eichel speculation Wednesday, he told reporters that he’s not aware of any talks and believes it is “just a media thing,” via the Buffalo News' Mike Harrington.
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