So here we are, talking about the supposed impossible trade again, but I’m starting to see more conversations about Jack Eichel and the Pittsburgh Penguins and this possible trade taking place, a quick google search of Eichel will show that “jack eichel penguins” is ranked 5th as a trending recommend search.
Why is that? Wishful thinking? Possibly, but I tend to disagree, this will be my second article on the Penguins looking to acquire Jack Eichel or the possibility of it, this discussion seems to be easily disregarded as “We don’t have the assets” & “We can’t afford him”, I’ll get into these, this will be structured similar to my last Eichel article “Penguins Looking to Get Jack Eichel?” as well as a sort of part II, but this one is more directed at the naysayers to this trade, the so-called “realists”, as I’ve brought this up to fellow hockey enthusiasts and they all seem to dismiss it before I can even give my argument for it.
“We Can’t Afford Him”
I want to start by saying, if you’re going to say that the Penguins can’t afford him then how is, Chris Drury of the Rangers able to look at Jack Eichel? Now the Rangers currently have $21,875,198 in cap space, which seems like plenty of cash to look at a deal with Jack Eichel, but next season they have to sign the following, Mika Zibanejad, Ryan Strome, Kappo Kakko, Samuel Blais, Adam Fox (Big pay day coming for Fox), Alexandar Georgiev, and they have to sign Filip Chytil this year, and I don’t see why they wouldn’t as he’s a great depth player with good upside and is only 21 years old. Not to mention Alexis Lafrenière is up in two years, now all of the sudden the Rangers $20 million doses’t seem all that much in a flat salary cap era, as coming up next year you have players that NEED to get signed, not maybe get signed, NEED to. On top of that they have free agency to look at, some really good names out there they could add, then there is Vegas, who is also interested, who is in a similar position as the Penguins, in fact they actually have about 2 million less in cap space, so how are these teams fitting in Jack Eichel’s fat $10,000,000 salary? Going to be a very tight fit next year wouldn’t it? But somehow, they must be making a proposal where it would work out, that’s how good GMing is done, you figure it out, it’s not impossible, writers, analysts, fans, they all get so jaded when it comes to possible trades like this, always throwing out how impossible it is, but never giving any reasons to how it would be possible. No theory crafting whatsoever, normally the crazier an idea, the more realistic it actually is, examples of crazy things happening:
- Colorado: Eric Lindros for Peter Forsberg
- Black Hawks trading: Dominik Hasek for Stephane Beauregard and a fourth-round draft pick to Buffalo
- Vegas Will be Terrible: Goes to Stanley Cup in first year.
- St. Louis Blue are in dead last: Turns it around to make it to the playoffs, then goes on to win the Stanley Cup
- Canadians considered to easily lose in first round: Goes to Stanley Cup
I could make the list bigger, but it would go on to long, people forget that these things happened. I’m not living in delusion that other teams, including the Rangers, don’t have way more to work with, because they do, but I think if Hextall plays it right, we could land him.
If I’m going most realistic? Then I would say most likely they make a deal with the Wild, they have $29,014,745, and no big signings coming up besides the KHL wonder himself Krill Kaprizov. Though we’ll see how they’re doing cap wise after free agency. But I don’t think they have too many assets that the Sabres would want.
To quote another writer/analyst Owen Krepps who also wrote about Penguins acquiring Jack Eichel, Krepps said: “Should they call Kevyn Adams? Absolutely, I think you have too, it’s Jack Eichel! You have to at least consider it…” In my own personal opinion, I don’t see as a general manger of a team like the Penguins, you don’t at least call, and say what are you interested in, if anything at all. Also, Forever Blue Shirts reported the follwing “New York Rangers indeed in the mix for Jack Eichel draft day trade; along with Wild, Ducks, and Mystery team” Mystery team? Well, well, who could that be? We’re past draft day of course, but I would assume all the same teams are interested still.
“We don’t have the assets”
Oh boy this one frustrates me the most, the way you make this trade is the same way I proposed in my article “Could the Penguins be Looking at Jack Eichel?” Though I gave a basic example, the concept is the same, give up assets you technically don’t want to give up. When people say “we don’t have the assets” most of the time it’s fans/analysts saying “I don’t want to give up the assets I like because I like them”, the proverbial I want my cake and eat it too mentality, in essence we can’t get Jack Eichel because I want to keep everything. Well, life’s tough, sometimes you have to take a risk. So let me go over why this “we don’t have assets for Eichel” frustrates me.
Jake Guentzel
Why is everyone is acting like this isn’t a big trade piece? It’s not like our team falls apart without Guentzel, I would consider this over half of Eichel’s trade value right here. How is this not a high value trade piece? This is what I was talking about, Penguins fans and writers just don’t want to give him up because they like him, in all honestly they also are underrating him by quite a lot. With or without Crosby, Guentzel is a 70 point player, in 18/19 season he had (40G) (36A) for 76P, the following season he was on pace for the same if not more if he hadn’t of gotten injured, in 39GP he had (20G) (23A) for 43P in 39 games, in this season which was only 56 games, he had (23G) (34A), so on pace for at least 70 maybe even a 80 point season if we played 82 games. Everyone is acting as if Jack Eichel is Crosby or McDavid, he’s not, I would say he’s better than Guentzel, and that he would probably hit 100 points playing on our team, but for now he hasn’t broken (82P) mostly because of injury, but his highest season he was on pace for (90P), so I would say having Guentzel as the top trade piece is quite a lot already.
Other tradeable assets to give with Guentzel in my eyes are,
Main Roster:
Bryan Rust, Jason Zucker, Teddy Blueger, Tristan Jarry, Marcus Pettersson (Who gets more hate than he deserves as stated by fellow Penguin Poop writer Rick Buker, in his last article.)
Kris Letang, if they even had interest, he has a M-NTC, and he’s 7.2 million, but if they want him then hey, send him packing, his contract is up next year, maybe they’d take him and sign him cheaper next year, if he didn’t jump ship. Again it’s a “if they want him, send him” I know the Penguins said they’re sticking with the core, but hey you never know, things can happen.
Prospects:
Ugh, it pains me to even go here, but as I’ve stated, sacrifices have to be made in a deal like this, so I’ll start with the first two that would pain me the most Radim Zohorna & Samuel Poulin. Ohhhh….arggg…I can feel the dagger in my heart, haha in seriousness they would most likely want a prospect with Guentz and whatever else we give, this is going to be a deal where we would most likely give 3 assets for Jack Eichel, a expensive risk, but one I think you have to go for, I probably wouldn’t give them Nathan Legare though. Giving Guentzel, Legare & a draft pick would probably be too expensive in my eyes.
Draft Picks:
2022 1st Round Pick, yes I would pull a bit of a JR and send a 1st round pick, the reason I said “a bit of a JR” is because I’m trading for a star asset and not a mediocrity.
2022 2nd Round Pick & 2022 5rd Round Pick, let’s be real, Buffalo is in bad shape, the more draft picks they get the better, I know we already trade away to many picks, but we are trying to win a cup before Crosby & Malkin get to old, so trying to patty cake around it, you’re either in rebuild mode or cup push mode, let’s be real Crosby wants another cup, you get him one, he’s a once in a lifetime player, so go all in then.
Note: They’re not getting all of these draft picks either, the 1st Round, or the 2nd & 5th bundled depending on that the trade looked like, I am not giving them all 3 to make it clear.
Closing Thoughts
I think we aren’t out of the running, I think it’s one of the moves to make, we’re in get a cup mode, take the damn risk, seriously pay up. Eichel wants to play on a team he can try and win a cup with, we still make it to the playoffs regardless if we keep losing in the first round, we still make it, which is more than you can say for Buffalo or most of the teams even looking at him. Those teams aren’t even making the playoffs besides Vegas and they seemed too have dropped out of talks for him. Why would he go play for Kings, Ducks, Jackets? These are bottom feeding teams, that’s where he just came from? For now he might not have a say, his NMC doesn’t kick in till 2022, so this is the year they need to move him, but I do believe Buffalo is trying to work with Eichel to send him to a team that’s a contender. Hopefully, that contender, is the Pittsburgh Penguins, or not we will have plenty of options, but who knows, I’ll say again crazier things have happened.
Hey Caleb,
Solid, Solid article, as Rick wrote.
However, my 2 cents;
I can’t see Hextall ever trying to make a deal like that.
and
I am sorry, I just don’t find Eichel all that compelling of a player. I honestly don’t want him. I am not saying that he isn’t a real talent, because he is. I just don’t think he is a winner. Maybe I am wrong, but I just don’t see him doing anything but crippling this team.
Some player like Tyler Kennedy don’t have pop but they find the way to win, some players like Eichel have all the talent in the world and waste it. I can’t help but wonder if it isn’t Eichel at the root of Buffalo’s ills. I can’t help but believe that once they shed him the team will turn it around.
Hey Other Rick,
I agree, as I said to Rick Buker, 10% chance this trade happens, and Hextall probably through his hat in with little chance of following through.
I’m aware you aren’t a big fan, I think he’s really impressive, with a lot more potential. I think his team and the management at Buffalo are what keep him down, I definitely think he’s a winner, I’ve seen him get upset, it’s just in a good way. He has a lot of heart, and passion for the game, it’s really sad to see him on a loser mentality team.
I don’t think Eichel is holding them back, I think Buffalo is holding Buffalo back, but I do agree they will start to turn around now that Reinhart, Ristolainen, and soon Eichel will be gone. I think it will be a fresh start for them and also a wake up call, and that’s what will turn them around, not necessarily that it’s Eichel’s fault, he’s what makes them any sort of competitive at all, as well as Olofsson, another undervalued player, but that’s a different article haha.
Hey Caleb,
Once again an interesting, energetic and highly entertaining article.
Being a dyed-in-the-wool realist, it’s really hard for me to imagine Ron Hextall making a serious push for Eichel. Especially given our cap constraints and the fact that Sabres GM Kevyn Adams is likely to ask for the sun and the moon and the stars.
With us already down two very capable forwards (McCann and Tanev) and possibly looking to fill those slots from within, if we trade Guentzel as you suggest, it would really cut into our scoring depth on the wings. Yes, we’d be super strong down the middle. But messrs. Crosby, Eichel and Malkin wouldn’t have anybody to pass to.
Plus, it would make us top-heavier than Morganna the Kissing Bandit. (I’ll let you look that one up … 🙂
But I do applaud your chutzpah for suggesting such a move…and sticking to your guns. And, if life has taught me anything, it’s that nothing is impossible …
Rick
Hey Rick,
I actually agree that I think it’s unlikely that Hextall is making a push, I do think that he probably gave at least Buffalo a call to throw his hat in, not that he would follow through or anything.
As for losing McCann and Tanev, I have stated my opinion that I think we can fill those spots with our prospect pool, (Legare & Zohorna), I know you don’t know how well they will translate at a NHL level, but I believe they’re quite ready to come up, Zohorna I believe can replace a wing on either the first or second lines, most likely the second.
You also say “down the middle” but I’m not planning on playing Eichel 3rd line center haha, he would either be on Crosby or Malkin wing, or Malkin would move to a wing, he also really helps out when Malkin inevitably gets injured. Also not sure by the, “they wouldn’t have anyone to pass to” thing, Malkin, Crosby, Eichel, Zohorna, Kapanen and possibly “Zucker or Legare” sounds like a scary top 6 to me, plenty to pass too, I mean Crosby, Malkin and Eichel passing it around to each other sounds scary on its own if you’re the opposing team.
I absolutely agree GM Kevyn Adams is asking not just for the moon and stars but probably asking for galaxies! You have to wait until we get closer to the season and he’s forced to come down to earth to make a trade, as he has to make a trade this year before Eichel’s NMC kicks in, all Kevyn Adams is doing right now is fishing, and seeing if anyone is willing to overpay, which he should, that’s smart on his part, someone might take the bait.
Also I’m aware of Morganna the Kissing Bandit haha, but I must disagree still, I think our bottom six is solid especially with Carter as 3rd line center.
We’ll see if this trade even takes place, as you’ve said it’s a big move, definitely not in Hextall’s regular wheel house, I’m saying there is about a 10% chance this trade actually happens, but I say you have to at least try and go for it.