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There have been about a half dozen teams that have been linked to Jack Eichel trade rumours since the season ended, with one of those of the teams being the Ottawa Senators. If there was any team in the NHL that could not only meet the Buffalo Sabres asking price, they also have the necessary cap space to take on his contract. I am told the Sabres GM Kevyn Adams has been told to get a deal done with Eichel before training camp and believe it or not, one reason being lagging season ticket sales. Buffalo is at an all-time low for season ticket holders and with so much turnover in the front office/coaching staff over the last several years, ownership wants to change the public perception and stick to a solid rebuild plan that the fanbase can embrace.

Ottawa Senators fans can relate when it comes to public perception over the years, with owner Eugene Melnyk causing many issues. But the fan base here in Ottawa believed in the message that Sens GM Pierre Dorion delivered a few years ago and Sens fans patience is slowly paying off as they saw the beginning of the youth movement start to get results after a rough start to last season.

Let’s face it, the biggest glaring hole on the Sens roster is a bonafide number one center. Band Aid solutions with aging veterans or players one year away from free agency have been talked about at nauseum. Bringing in a Ryan Strome or Tomas Hertl on expiring contracts might give Ottawa the opportunity to let Shane Pinto spend the year in the AHL. But the Sens are still missing that one piece in their rebuild that probably won’t come from within. Management has drafted top end talent over the last 3-4 years, at some point you have to translate all of that talent into a proven elite center if you don’t have one developing in your farm system. Add to the fact that Ottawa also has 11 draft picks in the coming 2022 entry draft and it means the team can’t keep waiting on young talent, waiting to mature and grow into every day NHLers when you have a group at the NHL level that is ready to make a push for the playoffs and eventually contend for a Stanley Cup. With this young core and as owner Eugene Melnyk has stated on the record, this will be a 5 year window of unparalleled success. Last summer Dorion made the move to trade for a veteran goaltender that has a winning pedigree as he thought the team was missing that piece in their line-up and now I believe is the time to fill that one glaring hole, a number one center.

Many fans will point to Josh Norris as a possible 1C and he had a terrific first year in the NHL but it’s hard to say if he will project out to being that number one center. Norris definitely can be the 2C you need in your line-up, with Pinto possibly being the 3C. As they say, you win Stanley Cups with strength down the middle!

Now comes the rumours I have been looking into for the past week when it comes to Eichel. Ottawa has more than kicked the tires on a few occasions when it comes to acquiring Eichel. Naturally, if you were to trade for him, the team needs to know that his medical issues will be dealt with properly. Eichel most likely wouldn’t be ready until later in the season when he eventually has the surgery he feels he needs.

The Sabres want 4 key assets, but at this point, Buffalo isn’t necessarily dealing from a position of strength. The longer the Eichel saga continues, the more the price comes down. Colin White would be involved in any trade scenario especially with his connection to HC , not to mention Buffalo would need a young center that is NHL ready in return for Eichel. The next asset that Ottawa has offered in any deal is defenseman Erik Brannstrom, who is still regarded as a high end prospect with plenty of upside if given consistent top four minutes on the blueline. Dorion wouldn’t have any problem giving up their 1st round draft pick in the 2022 draft as they have so much youth in the pipeline that at some point you need to use your draft capital to acquire what you need. Lastly, another top end prospect would be needed to complete the deal and there are three names that Bufalo has inquired about. Defenseman Lassi Thomson along with forwards Ridly Greig and Parker Kelly. With the depth Ottawa has on the blueline, giving up Thomson wouldn’t set them back or for that matter losing one of Greig or Kelly is something the Sens won’t suffer from. Besides, if Eichel can get help to put your team over the top and make them a bonafide contender, fans won’t remember who the team gave up. When looking at the possible package of White and Brannstrom, one of either Thomson or Greig are all former 1st draft picks, with Kelly being undrafted.

Now for the puzzling piece that has had on me phone with different sources, ex-players and NHL executives is the fact that I have been told the Toronto Maple Leafs could be involved in the trade scenario, should Ottawa acquire Eichel. The Leafs are sniffing around to see if they can move Mitch Marner, yes the 11 million dollar man(10.9 to be exact lol)! They know Buffalo would have the cap space and assets to possibly acquire Marner and with his NMC not kicking in until the 202-24 season. Marner is only 24 years old and trading him would give the Leafs the cap flexibility to be able to re-sign Morgan Reilly while retooling their roster a bit to make it more suitable to have success in the playoffs. It’s no secret that Marner has disappeared in the playoffs and as they say, if you can move an asset before it depreciates, you need to strike and move that asset!

What is ironic is that TSN’s Travis Yost, wrote a column a month ago suggesting the Leafs trade Marner for Rasmus Dahlin of the Sabres. Fast forward a month later and the Leafs are quietly seeing if they can find the right fit for a Marner trade! Yost is easily one of my favourite writer’s at TSN, here is his piece from a month ago.

https://www.tsn.ca/proposing-a-blockbuster-trade-that-would-help-the-toronto-maple-leafs-and-buffalo-sabres-1.1673100

Could the Leafs shake things up and move Marner sooner rather than later? One source said, if the Eichel trade can happen before training camp, look for Toronto to then be in serious discussions with Buffalo on a possible Marner trade.

So, with training camps set to open in less than a month, one has to wonder how the Eichel domino will affect what other teams do as we enter training camp. It’s very much like yesterday with Andrei Sechnikov signing his long term extension with Carolina as Sean Couturier signed not long after with the Flyers. Many times, all it takes is for one domino to fall before the rest of the league reacts with their own signing or trade.

Well Sens/Sabres and Leafs fans, what do you think? Does Ottawa offer the right package for Eichel? Does Buffalo finally move Eichel as they know he will never play in a Sabres uniform again? Do the Leafs move one of their four core forwards?

Thanks for reading.
Kevin

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