7 Ripple Effects if the Flames Acquire Jack Eichel

The Calgary Flames (and Vegas Golden Knights) are reportedly very shut on figuring out a commerce with the Buffalo Sabres for franchise centerman Jack Eichel. With ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reporting final evening that the commerce was shut (“on the one-yard line”) it as soon as once more despatched Flames twitter right into a frenzy concerning the professionals and cons of buying the celebrity ahead.

At present we noticed Kevin Weekes toss out a proposed bundle from the Flames with Matthew Tkachuk because the centrepiece onto his Twitter. There are questions round whether or not that is the bundle, or if it was craftily leaked by Buffalo to maybe entice Vegas or different groups to get again into the hunt, however nonetheless it as soon as once more has generated intense hypothesis and conversations amongst Flames followers.

For the sake of this text, let’s function on the sense that Tkachuk is the principle NHL piece returning to Buffalo for now.

With that in thoughts, a commerce of this magnitude would definitely have ripple results throughout Calgary and the league because the NHL hasn’t seen a celebrity of this magnitude traded in a while. Let’s take a look at a few of these ripple results.

1. The Path of the Flames will Change

It’s not that singularly buying Eichel will change issues, however will probably be a real indication that this administration group is lastly pushing their chips all-in. If this blows up of their faces, they’ll lose their jobs, there may be actually now means round it. If it really works out, they could possibly be right here one other decade. This season had appeared to be the unstated final 12 months for this core with guys like Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk, and Andrew Mangiapane all in line for raises after this 12 months. As a substitute by buying Eichel, Calgary would actually prolong their aggressive window and sign a shift extra in the direction of long term guys like Elias Lindholm, Rasmus Andersson, and Eichel.

2. The Battle of Alberta will likely be Should-Watch Hockey

If it wasn’t already the league’s greatest rivalry after 2019-20, including Jack Eichel to it might make it will probably’t-miss viewing for any hockey followers. Certain if Tkachuk is the rumored piece again going the opposite means, Calgary would lose a few of their edge, however including Jack Eichel (drafted one spot after Connor McDavid) would give the matchup two of the highest 5 facilities within the league on groups which might be already doing very effectively this 12 months. It could be nice for the game and draw a ton of consideration to those two groups that haven’t achieved a lot of something within the final 15 years, particularly the Flames.

3. Calgary must keep aggressive whereas ready for Eichel

That is form of a double-sided final result. On one hand, it might have been so much simpler for the Flames to justify a franchise-changing commerce like this one if that they had began as their typical mediocre October selves. As a substitute, sitting with a 6-1-2 file by means of 9 video games has lots of people very pleased with the place issues presently stand.

By buying and selling for Eichel and eradicating a minimum of one or perhaps two items of your present roster, you threat jeopardizing what appears to be an already higher season for the group. On the flip aspect, the new begin has given them a little bit of cushion to work with whereas additionally being within the comparatively poor Pacific Division. With Eichel’s return rumored to be after the Olympic break, Calgary must survive about 40 video games with out him and whoever they commerce, however would get him again for the ultimate 30 video games of the season.

4. Two Tkachuk’s within the Atlantic Division

I imply it might go a good distance in producing curiosity for 2 groups which have been mired in unhealthy hockey for a very long time now. Matthew Tkachuk is little question a participant that numerous groups across the league would like to have, and including double the Tkachuk to the Atlantic Division would even be nice advertising for the league for 2 much less in style groups. That’s in fact if the NHL did a superb job advertising their product, however that’s one other difficulty completely.

5. Calgary would have an Elite Centre Core

If this commerce is made and Tkachuk is the one NHL ahead leaving Calgary, then the Flames would find yourself possessing arguably one of the best heart group within the league or on the very least within the High 3 in my view. With Eichel, Elias Lindholm, and Mikael Backlund on the primary three traces, Calgary would undoubtedly be the higher group down the center and actually counter the Oilers McDavid-Draisiatl punch effectively. Whenever you additionally think about gamers like Dillon Dube and Sean Monahan who’ve expertise down the center, you then’re taking a look at a particularly deep lineup. You want nice centres to win the Stanley Cup. It’s that straightforward.

6. Eichel can be the culminating piece of your complete rebuild

If there’s one factor that the Flames rebuild actually missed out on, it was that tremendous excessive decide to draft a celebrity participant. Certain they acquired Tkachuk, Monahan, and Sam Bennett (ugh) at #4, however they by no means acquired that probability to draft first or second general to nab an elite of the elite participant. As a substitute they constructed the group slowly over time, including items by means of drafting and trades, adopted by bringing in Jacob Markstrom and head coach Darryl Sutter.

The Flames have additionally executed a superb job of filling their prospect cabinets as effectively to both embrace as items on this commerce, or to fill in roster holes shifting ahead on the NHL degree. A mix of A degree prospects (Coronato, Pelletier, Zary, Wolf) and B degree prospects (Francis, Ruzicka, Heineman, and so on.) will give the Flames choices for buying and selling, but additionally permit them to be assured in what’s leftover. Every part is in place proper now for the group to go for it, and Eichel can be the end result of all the efforts.

7. Does buying Eichel do sufficient to entice Gaudreau to re-sign?

That is extra speculative, and is extra simply my opinion, however I’m not making this commerce because the Flames for those who aren’t very comfy in believing that Johnny Gaudreau will re-sign after you make the deal. There actually isn’t a means that the Flames can financially add Eichel whereas re-signing Gaudreau, Tkachuk, and Mangiapane, however by dealing Tkachuk they need to be capable of make all of it match. Nevertheless including Eichel to play with Gaudreau for ~30 video games and one playoff crack simply doesn’t appear to be price it for me.

There is no such thing as a doubt that the Eichel commerce discuss will solely get louder as issues appear to maneuver in the direction of a conclusion heading into this weekend. It’s thrilling that the Flames are proper in the midst of issues however on the identical time, an enormous change like it will widen the potential outcomes (each constructive and destructive) for the group. Change will be scary, however change is what followers of this group have been wanting for years.

It might be romanticizing issues however you would like this to the Derozan-Leonard commerce with the Toronto Raptors a number of years again. It would damage to lose a fan favorite in Tkachuk, however the final purpose is to win a Stanley Cup and the Flames can be so much nearer to that purpose if Jack Eichel joined the group. We will see.