Will Jack Eichel Be Traded in 2021?

As I write this on March 30th, the Buffalo Sabres are dead last in the Massmutual East and the entire NHL with a horrid record of 6-23-5. They have butchered the expectations set for them and have been a failure of a franchise for many years. Disappointment after disappointment wore down the entire organization and its players. The sabers in the offseason brought in Taylor Hall, Eric Staal, and a couple of other notable players to the roster, all resulting in even more failure. Ralph Kreuger was relieved as the head coach and there have been many rumors regarding the captain: Jack Eichel.

One of the rumors involves four first-round picks. This would include any prospect that was a former first-round pick and has shown his potential in the NHL, like a Jesperi Kotkaniemi or Kirby Dach. The Sabres don't want to have to start from square one again. They know their fans and organization are growing tired and restless. The bottom line is they need to make the playoffs very quickly and there is absolutely no more room for any more errors. As it stands, the only team I could picture possibly pulling this off would be the New York Rangers. We know Eichel is an elite talent and one-of-a-kind player, but would it be worth it for that much value?

My greatest fear for the Buffalo Sabres is a situation that happened to the Blue Jackets this season. Dubois was frustrated and wanted out badly. But there weren't any offers that could suffice for losing an elite potential number one center. Things quickly got "sticky" and Dubois did not care about the organization anymore and it seemed even harder to get a done deal due to Dubois seeming uninterested. The Blue Jackets were forced to deal him without getting a player that fit their system. Is Eichel this type of player? You might ask. It is unknown to me if he will "give up". From the looks of this season and the uninterest of Eichel speeding the recovery of his injury that may very well be the case. Only time will tell.

Will Eichel be traded before the year 2022? In my opinion, Buffalo should explore their options. If they manage to get a deal with the value that they proposed it would be very smart to execute that trade. It is quite clear to me that Eichel, while he is a star, he is not a leader. He is not the player that will rally your team after a bad period. He is not gonna be the guy to carry them. I think he would be more suited in a team with more than one top-end talent. He gets frustrated too easily and doesn't help the others around him. Look at what McDavid has done as a leader for that Edmonton team. He almost single-handily carried them into the playoffs and made it to the second round. Jack Eichel is no Connor McDavid, but that doesn't give him the excuse for not leading the team. He has more than enough skill to be able to carry that team and deliver positive morale for them. The bottom line is: it just hasn't happened. A trade with that kind of talent would be tough, but I do think the Sabres should consider it.