Quote:
Originally Posted by devo22
again, you can't compare the Eichel situation to healthy players like Duchene. Eichel has a major injury that needs surgery and months of recovery ... there's so much uncertainty regarding his longterm health and those worries will only grow the more time passes. We're slowly getting to the point where Euchel won't be available at all this season. Why exactly wouldn't the offers get worse over time? The longer Eichel is out, the bigger the risk for the team that trades for him. Buffalo can't win this.
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I agree. Not only does his value to the trade partner decrease as his likelihood or returning during the regular season decreases, but the longer this drags on, the closer he gets to the end of his contract (I know he still has years left, but four years of Eichel are worth more than three years of him). If he isn't traded until the trade deadline, he won't be playing until part way into next season, and even then he could take months to get up to game speed. What contending or up-and-coming team will give up current assets for a player who they won't even know will be an asset for at least six months? And what rebuilding team wants a $10M contract?
Buffalo is simply being unrealistic about the returns in a trade of Eichel, and they are doing themselves and him a disservice by not taking the best offer available now.