Larry Brooks can keep writing that, but it doesn't make it so

I guess we'll just have to wait and see how it goes between now and then (whenever the nebulous "then" date is)
- Hank Balling

Yea, at the end of the day, none of us know what is going to happen.

It’s just that the Sabres are trying to trade a fully healthy, Hart trophy caliber, PPG Eichel and every other team is trying to trade for 2 goal Eichel who has a spine injury that essentially guarantees he needs at least one, most likely two, major surgeries who carries a 10 mil cap hit.

I think that when he is eventually traded, it’ll be somewhere in the middle. Sabres fans won’t feel like they got as much as they should have, and the team that acquired him will feel like they gave up a little bit too much considering the circumstances.

5 years younger, hasn’t sat out multiple years trying to fix the same injury. Those two things are enough to show you an insane difference, whether you wanna believe it or not.
- SDSabre

The other side of that is Tarasenko has a 25% cheaper cap hit, lesser term, and doesn’t need surgery between now and the start of the season.

Eichel literally needs a surgery before he’s able to suit up in the NHL still and with a 10 mil cap hit being carried for the next half a decade, it’s a scary question mark.

Obviously it’s high risk high reward. If Eichel gets back to the level he was at pre-injury, whoever acquired him made out great but it’s just a ??????

Yea, at the end of the day, none of us know what is going to happen.

It’s just that the Sabres are trying to trade a fully healthy, Hart trophy caliber, PPG Eichel and every other league is trying to trade for 2 goal Eichel who has a spine injury that essentially guarantees he needs at least one, most likely two, major surgeries who carries a 10 mil cap hit.

I think that when he is eventually traded, it’ll be somewhere in the middle. Sabres fans won’t feel like they got as much as they should have, and the team that acquired him will feel like they gave up a little bit too much considering the circumstances.
- rangerdanger94

In a league where Darnell Nurse makes over $9M a year, $10M is nothing.

Yea, at the end of the day, none of us know what is going to happen.

It’s just that the Sabres are trying to trade a fully healthy, Hart trophy caliber, PPG Eichel and every other league is trying to trade for 2 goal Eichel who has a spine injury that essentially guarantees he needs at least one, most likely two, major surgeries who carries a 10 mil cap hit.

I think that when he is eventually traded, it’ll be somewhere in the middle. Sabres fans won’t feel like they got as much as they should have, and the team that acquired him will feel like they gave up a little bit too much considering the circumstances.
- rangerdanger94

He won’t need two during the 5 year contract. Don’t be hyperbolic to have stuff lean your way. And if that was the case, he’d most likely be traded by now. I also don’t get the sense that Adam’s is “losing leverage” like every teams fans like to claim. He might not be gaining it, but all reports claim he’s sticking to his guns. If you are losing leverage you don’t stick to your guns.

Yea, at the end of the day, none of us know what is going to happen.

It’s just that the Sabres are trying to trade a fully healthy, Hart trophy caliber, PPG Eichel and every other team is trying to trade for 2 goal Eichel who has a spine injury that essentially guarantees he needs at least one, most likely two, major surgeries who carries a 10 mil cap hit.

I think that when he is eventually traded, it’ll be somewhere in the middle. Sabres fans won’t feel like they got as much as they should have, and the team that acquired him will feel like they gave up a little bit too much considering the circumstances.
- rangerdanger94

Sounds like the Sabres should wait for his value to rise again then

The other side of that is Tarasenko has a 25% cheaper cap hit, lesser term, and doesn’t need surgery between now and the start of the season.

Eichel literally needs a surgery before he’s able to suit up in the NHL still and with a 10 mil cap hit being carried for the next half a decade, it’s a scary question mark.

Obviously it’s high risk high reward. If Eichel gets back to the level he was at pre-injury, whoever acquired him made out great but it’s just a ??????
- rangerdanger94

Yeah they aren’t the same so when you said they are, people gonna call bull. Don’t know what you want me to tell you.

He won’t need two during the 5 year contract. Don’t be hyperbolic to have stuff lean your way. And if that was the case, he’d most likely be traded by now. I also don’t get the sense that Adam’s is “losing leverage” like every teams fans like to claim. He might not be gaining it, but all reports claim he’s sticking to his guns. If you are losing leverage you don’t stick to your guns.
- SDSabre

The entire hockey world is hoping the Sabres sell Eichel at a bargain basement price. I don't see it happening.

KA is not a bucket of berglunds type of guy

The entire hockey world is hoping the Sabres sell Eichel at a bargain basement price. I don't see it happening.

KA is not a bucket of berglunds type of guy
- Hank Balling

The fact that he’s making other GMs “frustrated” shows he’s selling a star right. It should be frustrating as you put so much into guys thus far. If it doesn’t hurt, you aren’t getting Eichel. Period.

The other side of that is Tarasenko has a 25% cheaper cap hit, lesser term, and doesn’t need surgery between now and the start of the season.

Eichel literally needs a surgery before he’s able to suit up in the NHL still and with a 10 mil cap hit being carried for the next half a decade, it’s a scary question mark.

Obviously it’s high risk high reward. If Eichel gets back to the level he was at pre-injury, whoever acquired him made out great but it’s just a ??????
- rangerdanger94

Tarasenko's also already had 3 surgeries on the same shoulder with no clue if the last one actually fixed the problem, hasn't hit 70 points since 2016, and has played 34 games in two years.

Tarasenko's the greater risk.

The other side of that is Tarasenko has a 25% cheaper cap hit, lesser term, and doesn’t need surgery between now and the start of the season.

Eichel literally needs a surgery before he’s able to suit up in the NHL still and with a 10 mil cap hit being carried for the next half a decade, it’s a scary question mark.

Obviously it’s high risk high reward. If Eichel gets back to the level he was at pre-injury, whoever acquired him made out great but it’s just a ??????
- rangerdanger94

Doctors told him surgery is not their desired option for him. So you keeping on insisting he needs one or more surgeries is not really a fact

I don’t see why it’s so different?
- rangerdanger94

Tarasenko's also already had 3 surgeries on the same shoulder with no clue if the last one actually fixed the problem, hasn't hit 70 points since 2016, and has played 34 games in two years.

Tarasenko's the greater risk.
- Wetbandit1

Once you hurt your shoulder you never now how it will turn out. I had fusion surgery in my neck 12-13yrs ago and have had no problems. Tore my shoulder up like 9yrs ago and have had 8 surgeries on it since. Weird cause we really don't know how bad Jack's neck is, Surgery is needed but he could have a small piece of vertebrae that cracked away that is causing the herniation. Could be why the Sabres don't think he needs a total disc replacement.

Doctors told him surgery is not their desired option for him. So you keeping on insisting he needs one or more surgeries is not really a fact
- IndianaSabresFan

No, they just don't think a total disc replacement is the way to go.

Tarasenko's also already had 3 surgeries on the same shoulder with no clue if the last one actually fixed the problem, hasn't hit 70 points since 2016, and has played 34 games in two years.

Tarasenko's the greater risk.
- Wetbandit1

Totally agree. Which is why Seattle could have gotten him for literally FREE and chose not to. Or could have gotten him and immediately traded him while retaining salary but didn’t.

His value is virtually nil.

Eichel is worth way more than Tarasenko, just not as much as four 1st round pieces, for similar reason Tarasenko is worth literally nothing.

Doctors told him surgery is not their desired option for him. So you keeping on insisting he needs one or more surgeries is not really a fact
- IndianaSabresFan

I thought rehab was the preferred option up until a certain point, and that point has passed and he’s still not where he needs to be so surgery is required now?

Sounds like the Sabres should wait for his value to rise again then
- Hank Balling

That seems to be the plan, but I just don’t see how Eichel’s value can rise from where it is unless Eichel suits up in a Sabres jersey and plays at the level he was pre injury without any reinjury concerns or looking like he’s only 90% of the player he used to be. But I don’t think Eichel suiting up again in a Sabres jersey is really an option that Buffalo wants to entertain?

I guess at the end of the day, he’s a professional and under contract so I guess he would have to if he ends up being cleared.

That seems to be the plan, but I just don’t see how Eichel’s value can rise from where it is unless Eichel suits up in a Sabres jersey and plays at the level he was pre injury without any reinjury concerns or looking like he’s only 90% of the player he used to be. But I don’t think Eichel suiting up again in a Sabres jersey is really an option that Buffalo wants to entertain?

I guess at the end of the day, he’s a professional and under contract so I guess he would have to if he ends up being cleared.
- rangerdanger94

When he suits up - wherever he suits up - he'll be 120% of his best season. That season came under Ralph Krueger who destroyed the offensive abilities of everyone he touched.

He'll be a 90+ point player, injury or not

When he suits up - wherever he suits up - he'll be 120% of his best season. That season came under Ralph Krueger who destroyed the offensive abilities of everyone he touched.

He'll be a 90+ point player, injury or not
- Hank Balling

Right, so will Tarasenko. Why aren’t teams lining up to trade for him?

Right, so will Tarasenko. Why aren’t teams lining up to trade for him?
- rangerdanger94

Tarasenko has never had a season above a PPG

He's also 29 (30 in December)

Not a center

He's played 34 games in the past two years

Apples and oranges. Tarasenko has more in common with E. Karlsson than Eichel

Tarasenko has never had a season above a PPG

He's also 29 (30 in December)

Not a center

He's played 34 games in the past two years

Apples and oranges
- Hank Balling

And if you guys hold onto Eichel until next summer, he would have only played 21 games over the past 2 years at that point, carrying a 10 mil cap hit for another 5 years

Do you not see your hypocrisy??

Totally agree. Which is why Seattle could have gotten him for literally FREE and chose not to. Or could have gotten him and immediately traded him while retaining salary but didn’t.

His value is virtually nil.

Eichel is worth way more than Tarasenko, just not as much as four 1st round pieces, for similar reason Tarasenko is worth literally nothing.
- rangerdanger94

Seems as though GMKA feels differently. Idk what to tell ya. The equivalent to 4 1st doesn’t hold tremendous weight in my mind bcz I’ve been around long enough to see most of ours go from prospects to suspects really quickly.

Until recently I haven’t posted on this website since we traded RoR away. I’ve been absolutely disappointed with just about everything we have done since then. As a die hard I would rather get nothing after 5 years and lose JE to UFA than get hosed again.

The sabres have bent over backwards for JE since drafting him, mostly to our own detriment. We literally have nothing to lose, we already know we are gonna suck for the next couple of years anyways. His 10mil a year is helping Buffalo get to the cap floor and the NMC next year is a moot point. None of that scares me. This is a hill I would die on.

Tarasenko has never had a season above a PPG

He's also 29 (30 in December)

Not a center

He's played 34 games in the past two years

Apples and oranges. Tarasenko has more in common with E. Karlsson than Eichel
- Hank Balling

Apples and turtles

Seems as though GMKA feels differently. Idk what to tell ya. The equivalent to 4 1st doesn’t hold tremendous weight in my mind bcz I’ve been around long enough to see most of ours go from prospects to suspects really quickly.

Until recently I haven’t posted on this website since we traded RoR away. I’ve been absolutely disappointed with just about everything we have done since then. As a die hard I would rather get nothing after 5 years and lose JE to UFA than get hosed again.

The sabres have bent over backwards for JE since drafting him, mostly to our own detriment. We literally have nothing to lose, we already know we are gonna suck for the next couple of years anyways. His 10mil a year is helping Buffalo get to the cap floor and the NMC next year is a moot point. None of that scares me. This is a hill I would die on.
- joshs

Ok pay Eichel 50 mil over the next 5 years, that will really show and punish him

And if you guys hold onto Eichel until next summer, he would have only played 21 games over the past 2 years at that point, carrying a 10 mil cap hit for another 5 years

Do you not see your hypocrisy??
- rangerdanger94

Perhaps there's meaningful movement on injury arbitration between now and then. I'm not buying the narrative that it only gets worse from here.

In any case, it won't be multiple injuries in that span. It's still the same injury

Ok pay Eichel 50 mil over the next 5 years, that will really show and punish him
- rangerdanger94

Or, he suits up and plays for us at a PPG pace 'til the end of the contract - and maybe through an extension. I fully expect this to happen.