There should be no issue including the 2021 1st for Eichel. The issue will be that Buffalo would also want someone in the Tkachuk/Stuztle bracket as well, which doesn't make a ton of sense for Ottawa at this point.

I don't see how you could not use the first and still have a decent team . Like without the first u probably need sturtzle and Brady, although send are not a great fit cause this years draft sucks

Agreed

I think norris/batherson would be as far as ottawa would go I dont think brannstrom/sanderson are much of a fit

haha, no Eichel, thanx

No

The Sens are one of few teams that could take Eichel without sending cap back to Buffalo.
Having Eichel would help the Sens immediately....How much would they want to give up? Or maybe the Sens would just prefer to spend 10m on UFAs and keep their pick.(and more)?

I wouldn't want them to be, as fantastic a talent as he is. Assuming you're able to make all of Tkachuk, Chabot and Stützle completely off limits, they're asking off the start for Norris AND Batherson AND the 2021 1st. And they might well ask for more on top. I just don't see how Ottawa ever comes out better having Eichel vs having what you would need to give up for him.

Say it's Matt Beniers with that pick, and he becomes roughly what he projects to be at his ceiling, as a top 6 two way C who can give you 20 something goals, and 50-60 points. If Norris can similarly give you 20 goals and around 50 points (about his current production as a rookie) and Batherson gives a little more than that, say closer to 60 points and in the neighborhood of 30 goals (on pace for 27 this year), is Eichel going to give you more than that?

Obviously Eichel is one of the very best players in the world, and he'll almost certainly get more out of the guys he plays with than you might otherwise get, but I still don't think it replaces what you lose, and I don't think it gets them any closer to the play offs. The Sens Plus Eichel, minus what he'll cost aren't nearly deep enough to be competitive in my opinion, which means the rebuild gets stretched out longer.

I think it's a fun exercise for sure. I think there'd be three very important questions for Ottawa management/ownership to ask themselves:
-Are we close enough that this isn't going to become a Phil Kessel to Toronto scenario (Assuming multiple 1st round picks are sent)?
-Is that $10 mil going to affect our ability to shore up the other holes on our team?
-Does Eichel even want to play in Ottawa? Because if you get him, and then he turns around a year later because he's not happy and handcuffs you with that NMC, that's going to severely impact any future return.

I think it would be fun to see Eichel in Ottawa, but I don't think they're close enough yet to take a huge bite like that.

I just don’t see an Eichel trade making sense for the sens. Tkachuk/Stutzle/Chabot need to be off limits or there’s really no point, and I don’t particularly want to part with any of Batherson/Sanderson/JBD either, they fill important holes for us if we want to contend (we’re thin on RW and a couple shutdown guys, and especially a partner for Chabot, will be super important). If the deal was more than OTT 2021 1st + OTT 2021 2nd + White + Thomson + Tierney/TBL 2022 2nd + Hogberg/Daccord/Mandolese I’d probably stay away. I’ve seen 4 1sts mentioned a lot and this is more value than 4 1sts (a top 6 pick at worst, a 2019 1st, a solid versatile young roster player that was a former 1st, an early 2nd, plus a solid middle six C or another 2nd, and a young goalie, which is apparently something Buffalo wants). That’s also a lot more than the Sens got for EK65, who was arguably the best D in the world at the time. All that said, if the sens can get one of beniers, eklund, or guenther they should probably just keep the pick.

There’s no chance u get Eichel fir the offer u want
Secondary pieces won’t cut it- that offer would get easily beat

Well thought out response
One thing i fell like u aren’t accounting for though is how Eichel makes players around him significantly more productive
Take Skinner for example:
For his career, he’s a very inconsistent scorer
Playing with Eichel, he scared 40goals & was on pace fir over 50 before his injury- compare that to his last 2 seasons playing without him

Imagine Tkachuk as a 30-35goal scorer
Idk who’d play RW on that line, but say it’s Dadonov
Think about the better return you’d get for him at the deadline with increased production.... that would help make up for all you’d have to give up to get him
Also.... think about how much more productive your 2nd line would be with the other teams’ top defensive players focused on Eichel’s line
Stutzle-Norris-Batherson could turn into even more productive players in that circumstance, which would be great for you guys


U still might not wanna give up all it would take to get him,
but Eichel would likely put u guys in the playoffs if the goaltending holds up

Sure, in a scenario where Ottawa can Add Eichel, while still keeping Chabot, Stützle, Tkachuk, Batherson and Norris, you have to look at it, but there's just no world where that's the case.

Would have to be a pure future deal which I doubt would be super appealing to Buffalo.

It would have to be something like Sanderson, Pinto, Greig, Bernard-Docker this years 1st and next year's as well. Maybe Brannstrom too? don't think you get there with purely picks and prospects, and even in this situation, you're still crippling your ability to be competitive, because you're absolutely gutting the entire future of the blueline.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about this over the last 18 months or so with all the Eichel trade talk. For what I think a player of Eichel would cost, I just can't see a way for Ottawa to get it done without putting themselves a couple years behind where the need to be either in terms of the blueline or the forwards. I mean maybe I'm way over estimating what it takes to get Him, in which case have at er, but I don't think I am.

As it stands, I don't think Ottawa is that far from being a playoff bound team, provided they stay the course and have patience. The 1C question is still a little up in the air, but I think the answer is within reach, either with Stützle or possibly a guy like Matt Beniers who I think would be the best centre on this team. He might not be that stud number 1 like Eichel, but I think he can be a 1C when you have two really strong Cs behind like Norris and Pinto, as well as elite talent on the wings like Stützle, Tkachuk and Batherson.

You’re probably reaching a bit projecting Beniers as a #1
I get where you’re coming from....
but if you’re trying to build a Cup Contender,
that’s hard to do without a true “#1” Center

I think it's within reason that Matt Beniers could be as good as William Karlsson. I think William Karlsson is a weak option to be a team's best C, but I don't really think anyone doubts that the Golden Knights are one of the favourites to win the Cup this year. I know it's definitely not ideal, but i think a great group of Wingers (which Ottawa has) you can make up for not having a star 1C.


Again, having Eichel would be incredible for Ottawa, I'm just not sure it's in the cards,

Sure, it’s POSSIBLE to build a team like Vegas has
But it’s still very tough to win without that “#1” center
It could be the reason they haven’t won anything yet....

Funny, every fan base is saying the same thing... Thanks, but yikes, no thanks

And NONE of them are a GM with the decision making power,
OR the intense pressure to (generally) “win now” or lose their jobs

If Eichel gets traded, it will be fit a HUGE haul- and that haul will start with a team’s top prospect(s) &/or best young player(s) &/or multiple 1sts

Which team will outbid the other half of the league that will be interested....?
Well that’s obviously tbd