Jack Eichel

New faces in (mostly) new places was the name of the game Wednesday as the NHL's annual free-agent frenzy provided a wild afternoon of big-money signings, second-guessing and intrigue.

Let's take a look at some of the biggest stories from Day 1 of free agency.

         

Devils Land the Biggest Prize...But Are They Ready to Contend?

The New Jersey Devils are no longer content with rebuilding. 

Which is convenient, because their fans have been fed up with it for a long time. A once-storied franchise has gone back into Mickey Mouse mode in recent years, and there hadn't been this much anger in northern New Jersey since Bobby Bacala was killed off from The Sopranos.

Wednesday marked the start of NHL free agency, and the Devils wasted no time in attempting a home run swing on their offseason, signing defenseman Dougie Hamilton to a seven-year, $63 million contract. 

This is not how the team has operated in recent years. Since this rebuild began in 2015, the plan was to create a sustainable winner, doing so by drafting and developing talent and filling in the gaps with veteran leaders on short-term deals.

Former general manager Ray Shero was fired suddenly in January 2020, and his longtime assistant, Tom Fitzgerald, took over. Fitzgerald reiterated this plan shortly after taking over last winter, saying he wanted to build around centers Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes, the top picks in the 2017 and 2019 drafts, and goalie Mackenzie Blackwood. 

"My plan, if I am to continue at this position, is to grow around Jack and Nico and that age frame, and have a group of kids around that same type of age group to grow together," Fitzgerald said after the 2020 trade deadline. "That's simple."

The philosophy has always been to avoid signing free agents to long-term deals that could possibly leave the club hamstrung in the later years of the contract. But they deviated from that plan with Hamilton.

Hamilton may not be around the same age as Hischier or Hughes. At 28, he's six years older than Hischier and eight older than Hughes. Before Hischier inked his seven-year extension in October 2019, the Devils hadn't handed out a contract of seven or more years since the disastrous Ilya Kovalchuk deal 11 years ago.

Their most notable free-agent acquisitions over the last five years were all veteran players on short-term contracts: Corey Crawford (two years) Wayne Simmonds (one year), Brian Boyle (two years), John Moore (three years) and Ben Lovejoy (two years). 

But the Devils deviated for good reason. Hamilton is a top-five defenseman in the NHL, and the team's biggest weakness has long been a lack of depth on the blue line. 

The Devils can now bury the largely ineffective P.K. Subban after Fitzgerald has remade the defense. In the last two weeks, the Devils have added two top-four defensemen in Ryan Graves and Hamilton, locked up Jonas Siegenthaler as a depth piece and added to that depth with Christian Jaros.

They cut ties with Will Butcher, trading him to the Buffalo Sabres. This was surprising given the club has invested time and resources into the 2017 Hobey Baker Award winner, but he wasn't working out in Lindy Ruff's system and the club appears to have prioritized salary-cap space in the future. 

The Devils still have a ton of salary-cap space to work with this season. They'll need to give raises to forwards Janne Kuokkanen and Yegor Sharangovich, both restricted free agents, but with CapFriendly projecting $22 million available, they have a lot to play with. 

The goaltending has been shored up with the signing of Jonathan Bernier to back up Blackwood, so now the question turns to the forwards because it's still unclear where New Jersey's offense is going to come from. Hamilton, an offensive defenseman, will create plenty of chances for the forwards, but the Devils don't have a single 20-goal scorer on the roster. 

Which brings me to my next question: Are the Devils skipping steps in this rebuild?

They tried to accelerate the rebuild in 2019-20 with Hughes, Subban, Nikita Gusev and a healthy Taylor Hall. The Devils ended up firing their head coach, John Hynes, trading Hall and parting ways with Shero before we even made it to the trade deadline. Gusev was waived in April.

Fitzgerald said he had hoped the Devils could become a playoff team in 2021, but between the divisional realignment, COVID-19 and Crawford's retirement, the team tumbled to the basement of the standings once again. 

This could be a good building year for some emerging young talent, but there will no doubt be pressure on the young forwards to score and win. 

But the Devils got a lot tougher with these recent moves, and Fitzgerald has done an excellent job of addressing the club's biggest needs. So temper your expectations when talking about the end of the rebuild. It might seem never-ending, but going from building to built takes time, money, draft picks and some bad seasons. 

Two years ago, fans wanted to say it was over. Don't get ahead of yourselves this year. 

   

Tony DeAngelo Wants Another Chance…Again

The Montreal Canadiens seemingly want to give players second chances. The Carolina Hurricanes are now giving mercurial defenseman Tony DeAngelo his fifth or sixth chance. 

DeAngelo, a talented 25-year-old who was suspended three times in major-junior hockey, twice for yelling at officials and once for a slur directed at a teammate. 

He had "attitude issues" with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He was suspended for physically assaulting a referee with the Arizona Coyotes. He was disciplined by the New York Rangers for his social media posts, which included tweets about COVID-19 being a hoax and the 2020 presidential election being rigged, and he was benched after the first game of the season for yelling at the officials and slamming the door of the penalty box shut, which incurred an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Two weeks later the Rangers placed DeAngelo on waivers after a fight with a teammate. The Rangers bought out the remaining years of his contract last weekend. 

Now, he has a one-year deal for $1 million with the Hurricanes. He says he's learned from his mistakes. He says hockey is for everyone and will prove he's worth another chance. 

"We did our research on who this person is, beyond the perception of him," Carolina general manager Don Waddell said in his Zoom press conference. "There's no doubt that he has made mistakes. We acknowledged that and, more importantly, he recognizes that he's made mistakes and he knows he's got to continue to work and grow as a person."

That sounded familiar, so I looked it up: Former Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton said nearly the same thing about DeAngelo after he cut him. 

"We did a lot of research, talked to a lot of people about Tony prior to acquiring him," Gorton said in a press conference with former team president John Davidson after cutting DeAngelo. "Everything went into it when we did that. We did our homework. We felt comfortable."

The Hurricanes can bury him if it doesn't work out. And maybe it will, but the optics are bad with fans already trying to cancel season tickets. 

     

Tampa Bay Extends Point

The Tampa Bay Lightning extending top-line center Brayden Point, signing him to an eight-year, $76 million deal. The contract kicks in during the 2022-23 season. 

The 25-year-old has been a prolific center during his five years in the league with scored 139 goals and 310 points. He led all postseason scorers with 14 goals en route to the Lightning's second straight Stanley Cup.

Tampa Bay had to dismantle much of the Cup-winning core because of cap issues. The team was $18 million over the cap during the postseason. The breakup started last week with Barclay Goodrow going to the Rangers in a trade and Yanni Gourde acquired by the Seattle Kraken in the expansion draft. Wednesday, free agents Blake Coleman joined the Calgary Flames and David Savard went to the team the Lightning beat in the Final, the Canadiens. 

     

King Phillip

The Los Angeles Kings won two Stanley Cups in three years between 2012 and 2014 with significant depth up the middle, and they appear to be going in that direction again with the signing of Phillip Danault. The former Hab is one of the better two-way centers in the league who may not always put up a ton of points, but he's an adept playmaker and a strong defender. This move should take some defensive responsibility off Anze Kopitar. 

Danault signed a six-year contract with a $5.5 million average annual value. The Kings also added veteran defenseman Alexander Edler to a one-year deal. These moves signal Los Angeles' intent to ramp up their rebuild and take a big step forward in the coming season. 

     

What's Next?

Jack Eichel is still a Buffalo Sabre. General manager Kevyn Adams has been unable to find a trade partner for the injured center, despite some rumors that he might join the Rangers. The Kings no longer need him after signing Danault. The Rangers appear to be loading up on gritty depth players. 

For now, nothing seems to be cooking with Eichel. 

Trade talks surrounding Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel are "dead quiet," per TSN's Bob McKenzie.

John Vogl of The Athletic relayed McKenzie's remarks.

Bob McKenzie says on TSN that things are "dead quiet" on the Jack Eichel front. He notes that the Kings' additions today make it "safe to assume" they're out.

Teams, including the Sabres, are dealing with the fact that Eichel talks are "really soft, really quiet."

— John Vogl (@BuffaloVogl) July 28, 2021

Eichel had two goals and 16 assists in 21 games during an injury-shortened 2020-21 campaign. Eichel missed more than half the season with a herniated disk in his neck.

The Sabres captain and the team have been at odds on how to treat the injury. Eichel prefers surgery, and he told reporters in May that he feels there's a "disconnect" between him and the team regarding the issue, per the Associated Press.

Per general manager Kevyn Adams (h/t The Athletic), Sabres doctors prefer a "conservative rehab approach."

On July 1, John Wawrow of the Associated Press relayed remarks from Peter Fish, one of Eichel's agents, who provided optimism that the two sides were nearing an agreement on how to handle the injury.

Eichel’s agent Peter Fish in text to The Associated Press on discussions with #Sabres on treating herniated disk:

“We are communicating with the team and are heading towards a resolution.”

— John Wawrow 🤷‍♂️ (@john_wawrow) July 1, 2021

That's a notable factor in regard to any potential trade.

The same goes for Eichel's contract, with five years remaining on the eight-year,  $80 million extension. Eichel will be a free agent after the 2025-26 season.

There's no denying Eichel's incredible talent, however.

The No. 2 pick in the 2015 NHL draft put together a 36-goal, 42-assist campaign over 68 games in 2019-20.

He's been nothing short of productive when healthy and could be a building block for a contending franchise.

However, the Sabres have not made the playoffs since 2011 and bottomed out this past season, finishing with a league-worst 37 points. Buffalo may be best suited to finding a taker for Eichel and starting another massive rebuild.

That taker doesn't appear to be the Minnesota Wild. Per Michael Russo of The Athletic, the team backed out of trade talks.

There is clear interest in Eichel, though. Darren Dreger of TSN reported Friday that the New York Rangers, Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings were "potential fits." Dreger also wrote that the Montreal Canadiens "could be in the mix."

Eichel's agents, Fish and Peter Donatelli, expect a deal to happen soon.

"Our expectation is that Jack is going to be traded in the near future, and all of our discussions have been centered around that issue," they told Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman on Sunday (h/t Jared Greenspan of the New York Post).

The 24-year-old Eichel has posted 139 goals and 216 assists during his six-year career.

Jack Eichel has never played for an NHL team outside of the Buffalo Sabres, but that could change before the 2021-22 campaign.

According to Darren Dreger of TSN, the New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings have all emerged as "potential fits" for the center. What's more, Dreger noted the Montreal Canadiens "could be in the mix" as well.

Eichel is just 24 years old and under contract through the 2025-26 campaign. However, the Sabres have never made the playoffs since they selected him with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2015 NHL draft and could accelerate a rebuild by moving him for a number of pieces.

That so many teams are apparently interested is no surprise and could help Buffalo if a bidding war takes place.

The 6'2" center should provide offensive firepower as a three-time All-Star who posted 56 or more points in each of his first five seasons in the league. That changed when he played just 21 games because of a disk injury in 2020-21, but the Massachusetts native is still considered one of the best young playmakers in the NHL.

The Boston University product tallied 78 points and a plus-minus rating of plus-five during the 2019-20 campaign after finishing the previous season with a career-best 82 points.

The right-handed shot is the type of player who could immediately transform an offense for a contender, especially one like Montreal that just went to the Stanley Cup Final.

For as impressive as the Canadiens were throughout the playoffs, they didn't have the firepower to keep up with the Tampa Bay Lightning with the championship hanging in the balance. Eichel is someone who could close that gap for Montreal and a number of other teams.

The Buffalo Sabres are reportedly seeking "at least four pieces that would be equivalent of first-rounders" in order to move star center Jack Eichel in a blockbuster trade.

Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported the asking price Monday, and noted the New York Rangers are among the interested NHL teams and have had "preliminary talks" with the Sabres about Eichel, but they're awaiting further medical information after he missed the end of the 2020-21 season with a neck injury.

In his season-ending press conference, Eichel expressed frustration about how the organization handled the treatment of the herniated disk in his neck. His side preferred a surgical procedure, while the Sabres wanted to take the more conservative route of rest and rehabilitation.

"My No. 1 interest and my No. 1 goal is Jack Eichel,” he told reporters. "... You've got to look after yourself, you've got to look after what you think is best for yourself, and the organization has a similar job to do, but it's to look after what's best for the Buffalo Sabres."

He added his main goal was "just trying to get healthy and figure out a way to be available to play hockey next year...wherever that might be."

In turn, the trade rumors that had already started to circulate during the Sabres' struggles en route to their 10th straight playoff-less season kicked into overdrive following the three-time All-Star's comments.

Trying to determine fair value for Eichel could prove difficult for Buffalo and interested teams, though.

The 24-year-old Boston University product is one of the NHL's best centers when healthy. He's tallied 355 points (139 goals and 216 assists) across 375 games since the Sabres selected him with the second overall pick in the 2015 NHL draft.

Eichel has compiled those numbers despite playing on some lackluster Buffalo teams, and there's a real chance he could take his game to an MVP level alongside more talented teammates.

On the flip side, he's coming off an injury that caused him to miss the final two months of the 2020-21 campaign and still doesn't have a definitive treatment plan or timetable for a return to full strength. Opposing general managers will probably also point toward his own remarks to suggest he may want out of Buffalo.

The other factor is his eight-year, $80 million contract. The Sabres will argue teams are acquiring an elite center under team control through 2025-26. Interested front offices will say his $10 million cap hit each season is difficult to navigate in the NHL's uncertain financial waters coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eichel is the Sabres' most valuable asset by a considerable margin. If the team ultimately moves him, Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams' opportunity to turn the struggling franchise around will likely hinge almost entirely on the return he gets for the team's current captain.

The equivalent of four first-round picks—the same compensation as the maximum possible via a contract offer sheet to a restricted free agent—is a fair baseline value for a player of Eichel's caliber, but the surrounding circumstances make it unclear whether teams will meet that asking price.

If not, the Sabres may have to grapple with the question of lowering their expectations or asking a clearly disgruntled player to return for the 2021-22 season with no guarantee the team as a whole will be prepared to take a significant step forward.

A resolution figures to come before the 2021 NHL draft on July 23, where Buffalo will make the No. 1 overall pick in a year without a consensus top prospect.

The Columbus Blue Jackets are not in "hot pursuit" of Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel at this moment, per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic:

"There’s a lot to unpack here, but let’s get this part out of the way first: after talking with numerous sources in recent days, it doesn’t appear that the Blue Jackets—at least as of today—are in hot pursuit of Eichel, one of the premier centers in the league.

"Has Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen had conversations with his counterpart in Buffalo, Kevyn Adams? Yes. That’s what high-ranking executives call 'due diligence.' Earlier this week, Kekalainen said he spoke with 'six or seven' GMs in a single day."

Eichel, 24, has 139 goals and 216 assists in six seasons for the Sabres, who selected the forward with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NHL draft.

Eichel only played 21 games this year, posting two goals and 16 assists for a Sabres team that finished with the fewest points in the NHL. His last game was on March 7.

The Sabres announced on April 14 that he would miss the remainder of the season with a herniated disc in his neck.

Trade rumors circulated around Eichel as the Sabres floundered, and the young star expressed his frustration with the organization in May while keeping the door open for a potential fresh start elsewhere.

Lance Lysowski of the Buffalo News provided the remarks:

"For sure, I would say I've been a bit upset about the way things have been handled since I've been hurt. I would be lying to say that things have moved smoothly since my injury. So yeah, I think there's been a bit of a disconnect I think from the organization and myself. It's been tough at times. But right now, for me, I think the most important thing is just trying to get healthy and figure out a way to be available to play hockey next year, wherever that might be."

Of note, Eichel wishes to have surgery to handle his ailment, while the Sabres believe that surgery should be a last resort, per Lysowski.

The Blue Jackets have a lot of questions to ponder after finishing last in the Central Division with 48 points. It was a decidedly disappointing result for a team that had made the playoffs each of the past four years, and now Columbus must regroup. Of note, defenseman Seth Jones appears on his way out after he informed the team that he won't sign a contract extension, per Portzline.

Eichel doesn't figure to be in the Blue Jackets' picture for now, but his contract (five years remaining on an eight-year, $80 million deal) would certainly play a factor for any team willing to acquire him. Still, Eichel is a fantastic point scorer when healthy, notably racking up 36 goals and 42 assists in 68 games in 2019-20.