All signs point to the Buffalo Sabres and Jack Eichel splitting up. The last-place Sabres have continually failed to build a contending team around their captain and superstar center, and Eichel has aired his unhappiness over the years – and frankly, he shouldn’t be wasting his peak years on a team that’s on a road to nowhere.
“Listen, I’m fed up with the losing, and I’m fed up and I’m frustrated,” Eichel said during a Zoom call last May. “It’s definitely not an easy pill to swallow right now. It’s been a tough couple of months. It’s been a tough five years with where things have went. I’m a competitor. I want to win every time I’m on the ice. I want to win the Stanley Cup every time I start a season.”
Since that May Zoom call, the Sabres livened up their roster by signing Taylor Hall and trading for Eric Staal – but a clear lack of overall improvement will lead to a messy divorce that sends Eichel to greener pastures.
There’s no doubt that the Rangers will kick the tires on the Eichel situation and see what sort of king’s ransom Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams will demand for the near point-per-game prodigy. For the Rangers to acquire Eichel, it’s probably going to take an eye-watering package that likely starts with one of Alexis Lafreniere, K’Andre Miller, or Kaapo Kakko.
You can’t get a prime-aged dynamo like Eichel for spare parts. Once Eichel is confirmed to be fully on the trade block, interest around the league is going to reach a fever pitch. It’s not often that a Grade-A, 24-year-old center who is under contract for the next five seasons becomes available. Adams and the Sabres can sit back, wait for the best offer to be presented and trade Eichel to a team that’s prepared to meet their demands. Remember, Eichel’s no-movement clause doesn’t kick in until 2022-23.
Though one of the Rangers’ key priorities is upgrading their center position, the likely exorbitant cost of acquiring Eichel could be too damaging to the multiyear rebuilding process. That’s why I think the Rangers would be better off pursuing Montreal Canadiens center Phillip Danault, a playmaking center who excels in the two-way game.
The 27-year-old finished in the top seven of the Selke Trophy voting in consecutive seasons and he typically hovers around the 50-point mark in full, 82-game seasons – but there has been some friction between Danault and the Habs’ organization. Speculation emerged last September that someone within the Canadiens’ organization leaked the news that Danault turned down a six-year, $30 million contract offer.
The Canadiens cannot risk losing Danault, an upcoming unrestricted free agent, for nothing. That’s why I think the Blueshirts should put together an enticing package to tempt Montreal into trading Danault – he is a less-heralded center in his walk year, so the cost of acquiring him would be considerably less than Eichel.
Maybe that package would include a promising prospect like 22-year-old center Morgan Barron? Just spit balling here, but you’ve got to give up something good to get something good.
Another reason why the Rangers should consider Danault instead of Eichel is long-term salary cap implications. Eichel is locked in at $10 million through 2025-26. If the Rangers were to acquire Eichel and add him to a roster that’s already paying Artemi Panarin $11.6 million per year, Jacob Trouba $8 million per annum, Chris Kreider $6.5 million per season and Mika Zibanejad $5.35 million per year, something’s got to give. All four of those players also own full no-movement clauses.
If the Rangers envision having a strong, cost-effective 1-2 punch at center, I’d think Zibanejad and Danault would be the way to go. I don’t think the Rangers should lose faith in Zibanejad because of 16 games of atypically unspectacular play.
Obviously, Eichel is temping – but the cost of acquiring and extending Danault would be the more sensible move.
Follow Sean Hartnett on Twitter: @HartnettHockey
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