Quoting: Jetsdood27
Like I said Vegas would not have pulled the trigger unless they were very confident the surgery would be successful, His value on the trade market before his injury and trade request is absolutely not worth double what they got they wouldn’t give up 2-1st round draft picks, 2 roster players and 2- top prospects that’s ridiculous.
High profile trades where one guy goes the other way doesn’t happen very often but that was never his value.
even if it was debrincat being a winger would have significantly lower value than him so I don’t get your point.
Medically, objectively, there is no telling how he will do. I know, because I had the surgery years ago and know many people who have....outcomes are all over the map. Everyone does well the first year mostly; the success rates diminish over time. Vegas was taking it's chances just as any team would that would have acquired him, but the price for Eichel was low as such. Nobody wants to take on $10M per year for 4 years, then a UFA, and not know if he's going to play all 4 years thus his price was low as such.
Cat has at least the value Eichel got and probably slightly more. If both players are healthy, Eichel would be worth more of course, but the point is, he didn't get top 5 player value because of his unknown prognosis...which will be a risk for every year of his contract.
You are WAY undervaluing the impact his surgery, request for a trade mid season, the fact that mid season very few teams can squeeze in $10M, and his UFA status had on his value. You simply aren't understanding that if he was like Cat...meaning....24 years old, a $6M cap hit for another year, a RFA after that, no injury history, and no dispute with his team, Eichel would have got at least another top prospect if not more.