Sabres GM is reportedly seeking “six components” in return for Jack Eichel
The Jack Eichel rumour mill is starting to heat up.
The former No. 2 overall pick and the Buffalo Sabres appear ready for a divorce but general manager Kevyn Adams isn’t going to let his team’s captain get away for cheap.
According to Jimmy Murphy of Florida Hockey Now, Adams is seeking six pieces in return for Eichel…
“They want six components for Eichel. …six!” the executive exclaimed. “I get that Kevyn is in a really tough spot and needs to make sure he can get as close to Jack’s worth as possible, but this is just crazy. We’re talking a top-six center 25 years or under, a top 4 defenseman 25 or under, a first-round pick, and an assortment of three prospects. In this market and with so many teams trying to build from within because of the cap, how is he going to get that? Then, you don’t even know how Jack’s back will hold up.”
Murphy went on to add that the six components Adams is asking for consist of a top-six centre and a top-four defender under the age of 25, a first-round draft pick, and prospects.
Eichel is undoubtedly an excellent player. He put up 18 points in 21 games in an injury-riddled 2021 season but he has 255 points through 375 career NHL games playing on an awful team. It’s certainly reasonable and expected for Adams to seek a king’s ransom for Eichel, but there won’t be many teams capable of putting together that package while also affording his $10,000,000 annual salary.
Larry Brooks of the New York Post wrote over the weekend that the Chicago Blackhawks were interested in Eichel. If they were to meet Adams’ demands, the cost would be something like @Dylan Strome or @Kirby Dach, @Adam Boqvist, their first-round pick, and other prospects. That’s a huge price to pay for one player.