Insider reveals Buffalo's absurd asking price from Anaheim for Jack Eichel
The Jack Eichel saga went on longer than I think anyone would have anticipated after the disgruntled forward had requested a trade out of Buffalo following a disagreement between the club and the player over what type of surgery would be approved to repair Eichel's injured neck.
Eventually, Eichel was dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for forward Alex Tuch, prospect Peyton Krebs, a 1st round pick in 2022 and a 2nd round pick in 2023 - and Eichel went under the knife for an aritificial disc replacement in November.
According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, however, the original asking price for Eichel was much, much higher. At one point, per a source that Friedman trusts, the Sabres were asking for the equivalent of four 1st round picks from the Anaheim Ducks.
"I heard what the Sabres asked Anaheim for was�Trevor Zegras,�Jamie Drysdale, and two first-rounders. Anaheim wasn't willing to do that," Friedman told Jeff Marek on the most recent edition of the 32 Thoughts podcast.
It's no wonder the Ducks wouldn't pay what Buffalo was asking. That is an astronomical price to pay for a player who, as good as he is, comes with a lot of question marks relating to his health.
There's no denying that Eichel is highly skilled, but I don't think anyone can blame the Ducks for refusing to meet Buffalo's demands - especially because Trevor Zegras, in his own right, may end up developing into a bona-fide star player in the NHL. Maybe even as good or better than Jack Eichel.
