Sabres reportedly working with Flames, Golden Knights on Jack Eichel trade
While the Buffalo Sabres were battling the San Jose Sharks on the West Coast Tuesday evening, Jack Eichel was quite the hot topic among Team Teal's rivals, as a trade destination for the embattled Sabres superstar forward becomes more clear.
According to ESPN's Emily Kaplan, the Calgary Flames and Vegas Golden Knights, both Pacific Division teams, are the front-runners in a trade for Eichel, who has yet to play this season.
Eichel and the Sabres have been at odds for what seems like ages now over what kind of surgery he should get to repair a neck injury he sustained last season. According to Kaplan, both the Flames and Knights are "OK" with the surgery Eichel prefers, but neither has quite met the asking price Sabres GM Kevyn Adams wants in return.
The 25-year-old center has remained adamant he wants an artificial disk placed in his neck, which he believes will give him the best range of motion following his injury. The Sabres, however, have insisted Eichel get a traditional disk fusion procedure done. Once the team's acting captain, Eichel has been sidelined all season because of the standoff on the issue, with even former teammates weighing in on the debacle.
Despite not having sufficient talent around him, Eichel still produced for the Sabres, registering 355 points (139 goals and 216 assists) in 375 games for the franchise that drafted him second overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
Eichel is in the midst of an eight-year, $80 million deal with Buffalo that stretches into the 2025-26 season.
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