Is it possible that Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman has another trick up his sleeve called Jack Eichel?

Unless you've been living under a rock, you're probably aware of the allegations made by young Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel against the organization, leading many to believe the two sides are on the verge of a messy divorce.

«There's been a bit of a disconnect between myself and the organization,» Eichel said Monday. «It's been tough at times. Right now, for me, the most important thing now is to try to get healthy and figure out a way to be available to play hockey next year, wherever that might be.»

In his six years in the NHL, Eichel has yet to play competitive hockey, and the Sabres look no closer to ending their decade-long playoff drought than they did when he was drafted second overall behind Connor McDavid in 2015.

Might this be the perfect chance for one of the NHL's most astute general managers to pounce? It's a chance, according to one Detroit News journalist.


In an article published earlier this afternoon, John Niyo suggested that it wouldn't be unthinkable for Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman to let the idea of swinging another big hockey deal marinate in his mind for a while.

"And the Wings? Well, no team has more salary-cap space heading into the summer than Detroit, and Yzerman does have the kind of prospects and future assets to make a viable offer for Eichel, an elite No. 1 pivot who's only 24 and under contract for five more seasons at $10 million per year.

"I'm not sure there's a great match here on either side, really. If the Sabres are ultimately forced to deal their captain, they'd undoubtedly look to move him out of their division, if not the conference. And while Eichel's no-movement clause doesn't kick in until next summer, it seems unlikely he'd be keen on jumping from one rebuild to another, anyway."

Credit: TheHockeyFeed