Jack Eichel isn’t for sale just yet. If he was, it’s extremely unlikely the Islanders would make a run for him. But Eichel isn’t happy with the Sabres. Despite not requesting a trade yet, Eichel has made it clear he wants change in Buffalo. He said he was “fed up with the losing” and “any competitor wants to win.” He is still under contract in Buffalo until 2026, and the Sabres are hoping he remains a Sabre for that long, and during that time they finally build a successful corps around him.

Chances are, Jack Eichel does not get traded by the trade deadline. In fact, there is barely any chance he is moved this year and seeing an Eichel trade in the next year isn’t really all that realistic. It is not everyday a player as good as Eichel gets dealt, especially at Eichel’s age. But first, let’s take a look at Eichel’s first six years in Buffalo and distinguish his value.

How Good Really is Eichel?

Eichel has been arguably the best player on the Sabres since the first time he put on the jersey. Other than his rookie season, Eichel lead the Sabres in points. Since 2017-2018, Eichel has scored at over a point-per-game rate. He was named Buffalo Sabres captain in 2018.

Over time, Jack Eichel became a top player in the NHL. In 2020, Jack Eichel was the league’s tenth highest scorer. For reference, that was only four points less than fellow superstar Auston Matthews, who has much more support around him.

On our list, Eichel was the 11th best player the NHL, making a very good argument for a 5-10 ranking.

Why is an Eichel Trade a Possibility?

As stated before, Jack Eichel wishes the situation was different in Buffalo. Here’s an accurate representation of Eichel’s supporting cast.

Since Eichel was drafted, the Sabres have selected 38 other players. Combined, those players have 187 points in 457 games (as of March 11, 2021). Jack Eichel had 355 points through 375 games, himself, at that time. That includes Alexander Nylander (now a Blackhawk), Casey Mittelstadt, Rasmus Dahlin and Dylan Cozens, all top-ten draft picks with NHL experience.

There are two other big opportunities wasted that stick out. The year before Eichel, when the Sabres decided to draft Samson Reinhart instead of Leon Draisaitl. Also, the Sabres controversially traded Ryan O’Reilly to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for three depth forwards and two draft picks. So, there hasn’t been all too much success in getting star players alongside Eichel long-term.

With this mixture of bad luck and poor management decisions, the Sabres have been struggling for a long time. We can almost guarantee this will be the tenth straight postseason-less season for Buffalo. The Sabres are listed to have a 0.7% chance to make the playoffs as of earlier this month. It has gone down since. In Eichel’s career, the Sabres have finished eighth twice, seventh once, and sixth twice in the Atlantic Division.

So, now that you know difficult Eichel’s time in Buffalo has been, and there is a possibility Eichel requests a trade in the future, most likely after his injury, here are three potential Islanders packages to land the superstar. All these trades have been approved by CapFriendly’s trade machine.

These are incredibly unrealistic and most likely will not happen. But let’s have some fun anyway!

Mock Trade #1:

Islanders Receive: C Jack Eichel, C Curtis Lazar

Sabres Receive: C Jean-Gabriel Pageau, LW Oliver Wahlstrom, C Casey Cizikas, 2021 1st Round Pick, 2022 2nd Round Pick (via Colorado), 2023 2nd Round Pick

This is a package the Sabres could consider. All three forwards in this deal can appeal to the Sabres.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau can become a very effective second-line center in Buffalo. Since they lose Eichel in this trade, and it is unknown if Eric Staal will stick around after this year, Pageau would be a crucial center for the Sabres. Oliver Wahlstrom is a young winger that any team would want and can also put the puck in the net. Lastly, Casey Cizikas is added for the Islanders to afford Jack Eichel’s $10 million annual contract. Cizikas can help solve Buffalo’s depth issue, and is a UFA, so they would not be locked into Cizikas but could re-sign him. It will also be impossible to acquire Eichel without an array of draft picks to pad their future.

The upside of the this trade for the Islanders will be the same as the other two. They are getting one of the best players in hockey. Eichel will not come cheap, and this is the price they’d have to pay. Curtis Lazar is a cheap replacement for the fourth line center position Cizikas will be leaving. His $800,000 contract doesn’t do much to hurt the Islander’s cap situation, and can be sent to the AHL if a new 4C is found. If a piece of Eichel’s contract would be retained, this works financially.

Mock Trade #2:

Islanders Receive: C Jack Eichel, D Brandon Montour

Sabres Receive: C Mat Barzal, D Ryan Pulock, 2022 2nd Round Pick (via Colorado)

Eichel is that good that even Mat Barzal is on the table. Top defenseman Ryan Pulock is also sent to Buffalo here, as their defense is as much of an issue as their offense.

Brandon Montour is also on the trade block for Buffalo and can be included. He is a UFA at the end of the season, and Buffalo is not confident that can strike a new deal. They are trying to move the defenseman, so he can fill Pulock’s void at least temporarily.

While this trade would never happen, it works on paper. The Islanders would likely be serious cup contenders if they added Eichel, even if it had to mean trading Barzal.

Mock Trade #3:

Islanders Receive: C Jack Eichel, C Cody Eakin, D Matt Irwin

Sabres Receive: C Brock Nelson, LW Josh Bailey, D Sebastian Aho, 2021 1st Round Pick, 2022 1st Round Pick, 2024 1st Round Pick

In this trade, the Sabres get more veterans and less youth. Longtime Islanders Nelson (29) and Bailey (31) have established themselves as strong top-six forwards that can create offense. If an Eichel trade were to happen, the Sabres would likely seek youth and “start over.” Luckily for them, they would also acquire three first round picks, and those can be used to boost the prospect pool. They also pick up Sebastian Aho for some depth.

Along with Eichel, the Islanders acquire Cody Eakin and Matt Irwin. These two help even out the cap if Buffalo retains some money, but also has some use in New York. Losing Nelson and Bailey creates two holes in the lineup, and Eichel despite his star-power only fills one. Eakin’s two-year contract can be played out with the Islanders as an everyday forward. Matt Irwin also provides depth on a one-year deal.

While these are unrealistic and just for fun, would you do any of these trades to send Jack Eichel to the Islanders?

Ben Kule

Die-Hard Islanders fan and writer from Plainview, Long Island, NY. I have a passion and knowledge for this team and I enjoy sharing that with others