Eichel's health determines if there is a trade or not.

Doesn't matter how great/meager the trade package is.

Doesn't matter if Buffalo retains half/none of the Cap hit.

If Eichel is unable to perform at the same level he used to, then any trade for him will be horrendous.

lol Imagine being asked to eat 25million dollars on a deal over 5 years, and you're giving the best piece in the deal. When has even come close to happening? Don't know if Brooks just heard rumours or its his suggestion but wow its ridiculous

Half gets you lafreniere.

Sorry but Buffalo is unloading the whole contract, they will not retain any money, no shot. Also, Palmeri is going back to Long Island and Goodrow is a center

Sabres are not retaining 5 mil so please stop with that idea.

It’s been made public that they would retain half for us to add Kakko.

Imagine having to honor a contract for 50 million over the next 5 years...and in exchange you might have a player who plays- following neck surgery- but plays nowhere near his salary/cap hit? A much bigger and more painful situation than Okposso?

Maybe so, but show me a situation where any team has retained over 2m for over 2 years and I can see how it can be done... but it hasn't and it never will. Because any owner would throw up at the thought of retaining 25 million dollars over 5 years. It's comical the rumour even started. If the injury was really that bad, the Rangers would not be still hot to acquire him.

...where was that?

Don’t remember who reported it but it was to try and bring the other teams back in and jack up the price. They are hoping that maybe a Rossi or Zegras could possibly become in play. Saw it a day or 2 ago

The only thing I saw was Larry Brooks referencing it yesterday. I can't find anything on it. That leads me to believe it wasn't very credible because if it was, everyone would be reporting Sabres are willing to retain half... and that would bring other teams into the mix

Ya that’s possible. I haven’t been following the Eichel stuff much. I’m just waiting for it to end, he either stays or goes to the only game in town for far less than expected.. just waiting for the dominoes to fall

Not dismissing your point regarding owners' willingness to retain salary....but show me a situation where a team has traded a boatload of high end assets for the right to pay the return player 50 million over 5 years...where they know going into it that the player has to have neck surgery.

Point is - this is a very complicated trade situation. I really don't have the answer- don't think anyone here does. But the longer it goes the less leverage BUF has. But as far as the Rangers being hot to acquire him- the Rangers are one of a small handful of teams which have the assets to provide and the salary structure to make this sort of deal...but the reward has to outweigh the potential risk-like any trade- yet for the obvious reasons this trade is complicated to put the risk/reward into acceptable range on both sides of the trade.