It’s time to start the work week with another edition of our NHL Rumours. We have the latest installment of As the Buffalo Sabres Turn with recent news on Jack Eichel. There’s also items on the New York Rangers and Vitali Kravtsov and the future of Jeremy Colliton with the Chicago Blackhawks.
All NHL Rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Buffalo Sabres
Rumour: Elliotte Friedman on the latest edition of “32 Thoughts” talked about how a greivenace will come in the next week from Eichel’s camp. This will happen if a trade does not go down in the next week or two.
https://twitter.com/FriedgeHNIC/status/1452090843268059141
Analysis: Things look like they will come to a head with either a deal or a filing. It all stems from the Sabres and Eichel disagreeing about his choice of surgery on his injured neck. A grievance filing may also be avoided if both sides agree on a medical plan. However, that doesn’t seem likely.
This saga has been drawn out and both sides have been dug into their respective positions. Both sides should think about coming to some sort of an arrangement. Eichel will likely provide a big haul for the rebuilding Sabres, who are off to a 3-1-1 start. However, Kevyn Adams wants to make the right deal and not a repeat of the Ryan O’Reilly debacle.
The main stumbling blocks of the deal are his $10 million salary for the next four years. There’s also understandable concern about how long it will take the former second overall pick to be his old self… if that can be possible.
New York Rangers
Rumour: Jeff Marek on the same segment said that the Rangers want a top prospect for the embittered former first-round choice.
Analysis: It looks like Vitali Kravtsov is going down the same path as former top 10 pick Lias Andersson. He departed the organization on less-than-ideal terms after not cracking the lineup.
Blueshirts head coach Gerard Gallant did make an effort to try to get the young Russian to report to AHL Hartford. However, Kravtsov refused the assignment and is awaiting his fate in his native Russia. He played most of last season in his home country, but played a few games for the team at the end of the season.
General manager Chris Drury is not budging on his demand for a high-end prospect. The Rangers want to recover something for their first-round choice. It’s understandable that Drury wants to stand firm in his trade demands.
Chicago Blackhawks
Rumour: WBBM’s Jay Zawaski hosted ESPN’s Emily Kaplan to talk about the struggling Blackhawks coach.
"I've talked to a lot of people around the BH organization. They feel like they haven't deviated from their (rebuild) plan. The sense I get…the people I talk to…there aren't even closed meetings at this point about Jeremy Colliton losing his job." –@emilymkaplan
— Jay Zawaski (@jayzawaski) October 21, 2021
Analysis: To say Chicago is struggling would be a massive understatement. The Blackhawks set a dubious mark of not even holding a lead in its first six games. Chicago is 0-5-1 after losing to the rival Detroit Red Wings after a Lucas Raymond hat trick.
Some thought the Blackhawks would be a dark horse team to make a run at the Central Division title. However, it seems like they are more likely to get a shot at top pick Shane Wright instead of a Stanley Cup Playoff berth.
It seems that management had a different vision of the season than some of the fans. Chicago struggled last season without Jonathan Toews and Kirby Dach. The team did make a big splash in landing Marc-Andre Fleury and Seth Jones in the off-season. However, it’s not gone well.
Colliton seems safe for now, but the shouts for his job could get louder if things are still bad 20 games into the season. Blackhawks officials aren’t holding meetings about Colliton’s job, but plans can change if improvement isn’t shown. The clock may be ticking.
