NHL Rumors: Golden Knights closing in on Jack Eichel trade with Sabres
Anthony Scultore
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The rumor mill is buzzing tonight with talk that the Vegas Golden Knights are closing in on a trade for Jack Eichel with the Buffalo Sabres.
“There’s real work being done to facilitate a trade,” Elliotte Friedman reported on The Jeff Marek Show. “I do think Buffalo and Vegas are talking very seriously. I think they are trying to find ways to see if they can get something done and avoid the possibility of a grievance.”
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Golden Knights closing in on Jack Eichel
Earlier in the week there was rumblings that Vegas was circling back with the Sabres on Eichel.
Frank Seravalli of The Daily Face Off noted the uncertainty around Mark Stone’s injury as a major factor why he was hearing more chatter surrounding Vegas and Eichel.
“Everyone’s been holding their breath to this point, but I can tell you there’s been increased chatter between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Sabres about Jack Eichel over the last three to five days.” Seravalli wrote. “I think there’s been some talk about a third-party broker that could potentially be involved to make this work from a financial standpoint. But I think the Golden Knights are a team to watch on the Jack Eichel front.”
The Golden Knights have been one of the most talked about teams in a potential Eichel trade. The Rangers were at the top, but once they extended Mika Zibanejad they were no longer considered a player. Anaheim is another team that makes sense, but a team to watch are the Colorado Avalanche.
Is a deal close?
We’ve been down this road with Eichel trade talks before. A team executive I spoke with says that there’s no trade imminent and that the Sabres are claiming no deal has been reached.
There is also the questions as to what the Golden Knights will be giving up. Considering they are reaching into the minors to fill out a roster due to injuries they need healthy bodies. Max Pacioretty is also out for Vegas and Eichel will be having surgery after the trade and is expected to be out around four months.
Right now there are a lot of questions and very few answers. Could a third party be involved? Vegas does have cap concerns, unless Stone will also be going on LTIR.
Another roadblock to a deal during the offseason was a refusal to include Peyton Krebs in a trade. Have the Knights acquiesced on that in order to make a deal? It sounds like it, but we will have to wait and see if we are truly any closer to this saga coming to an end.
