Quote:
Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction
Once August rolled around, I started to get the feeling that Eichel might not play in 21-22. If he does get traded, it will probably be to a non-playoff team looking towards next season.
Buffalo really missed an opportunity back in June to trade him to a team that expected Eichel to be a contributor this season. At this point, if he got the surgery tomorrow, you might get a dozen regular season games out of him, and it's not like he will be 100% right out of the gates.
The regular season is a grind, and I don't think any team wants to deplete their line-up for the off chance Eichel is a difference maker this season.
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Its about the next 4+ seasons, and its probably more than an "off chance".
Even 12 games is enough runway to get up to game speed for the meaningful games.
If Eichel goes somewhere in the coming weeks and it's a playoff team, i guarantee you he won't be a bumbling passenger when he gets back into it. He carried Buffalo on his back for years, you don't think he'll be raring to go once his body is back to health for the team that pries him out of that mess?
I all but guarantee you he won't be this post-surgery wallflower on his team when he gets back in.
There's a lot of playing down the skill & compete level of jack eichel here. I think not seeing him play in a while has clouded people's memories.
This is a neck issue, not an amputated arm.
The guy was ripping goals in a scrimmage game in August with this lingering injury. Its not like he won't have seen or touched ice for a year.
Last spring Kucherov sat out until the eve of playoffs and he helped his team to a Stanley Cup championship with 32 points in 23 games.