Eichel Trade Talk Gets Serious, Kraken Open to Moving 2nd Overall Pick?

There have been whispers in the past couple of days that the Seattle Kraken are one of the teams that might be keeping close tabs on the Jack Eichel situation out of Buffalo. In fact, Florida Hockey Now’s Jimmy Murphy reports the Kraken are a team that has checked in on the Eichel situation and he writes: “We’re watching the Kraken, and GM Ron Francis put the new team in a position to land a superstar in exchange for a top-prospect selected with the second overall pick.”

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Things getting more serious on the Jack Eichel trade front; all signs pointing to Brind'Amour staying put, plus more in my Rumblings notebook:https://t.co/fhfxQBnbVk

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 16, 2021

The latest on Eichel is that the Sabres have not yet permitted him to speak with other teams. As per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Sabres are still negotiating the next steps in his recovery from a herniated disk in his neck. But, if teams are going to go after Eichel, they’ll want to talk to him about his recovery, Seattle is in that group.

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic offered up some updates on the outlook of an Eichel trade on Wednesday and noted that a trade seems more and more likely every day. He noted that he’s not suggesting a deal is finalized before the end of the playoffs, but that the Buffalo isn’t necessarily waiting until the season ends to make a deal. LeBrun said “conversations between the Buffalo Sabres and other interested teams are getting more intense and serious.”

If LeBrun’s notes match with Friedman’s, what is potentially happening is that the Sabres are talking with Eichel, while talking with other teams. If GM Kevyn Adams believes there’s a deal that could work for Buffalo, he’ll revisit his conversations with Eichel, then perhaps offer the player a chance to chat with that interested team.

Among the clubs LeBrun thinks are calling about Eichel are the Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers. He notes, “The Kings want to make a splashy move for a top-6 forward, the Wild could use another top center, and the Jackets (who have three first-round picks this year) of course really, really need a No. 1 center.”

What About This Seattle Kraken Thing?

If the Kraken are looking to make a splash this offseason as the newest team in the NHL, landing Eichel would be one way to do it. This isn’t the strongest NHL draft, so perhaps the team can afford to move a high pick and not miss out on a generational or top-level talent.

Meanwhile, the Kraken can sell a ton of merch and build excitement for the season with a player like Eichel in the fold. This offseason is about putting together the best team possible, but it’s also about marketing the excitement of a new hockey club. Having one of the better top line center in the NHL in your lineup on opening night could be a big win.

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