Flames stay silent on Eichel trade rumours, focus on hot start

November 4, 2021 c_admin Lacrosse Comments Off on Flames stay silent on Eichel trade rumours, focus on hot start

Author of the article:

Kristen Anderson

Superstar centre Jack Eichel will likely draw a significant return in a trade package for the Buffalo Sabres. And the possibility of him landing in Calgary is generating significant buzz in the Stampede City. Photo by DAVID BLOOM /Postmedia file

Not a single soul at Scotiabank Saddledome was going to confirm or deny that Buffalo Sabres superstar centre Jack Eichel was en route to Calgary.

But you knew that was going to happen.

Johnny Gaudreau and Noah Hanifin, brought to the media lounge for interviews after the team practised Wednesday, shifted uncomfortably in their seats when asked about him — obviously feeding into the speculation over the last 24 hours with ESPN reporter Emily Kaplan confirming the Flames and Vegas Golden Knights were the two finalists angling to get Eichel on their roster.

“To be honest, I haven’t spoken with him at all. I’ve obviously been really busy with the season,” said Hanifin, who has been close with Eichel for years, both born and raised in New England.

“I don’t know what to say,” Gaudreau added. “It’s not really our job to be commenting on stuff like that.”

That’s fair. Understandable, even.

The Flames are coming off Tuesday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Nashville Predators and are concentrating on continuing to improve on their consistency and a 6-1-2 record.

And, they have a good team. So far, at least. What about in a month, however?

An insular approach to these kinds of rumours is always the norm — especially within the confines of the Flames’ dressing room — but it is all anyone is talking about right now in Calgary. Even though Darryl Sutter insisted he wasn’t “aware” that the trade was reportedly close to happening and chalked it up to “a media thing.”

Where there is smoke, there is almost always fire. Just look at the Flames trade history, some of which Sutter himself was involved in. Dion Phaneuf. Jarome Iginla. Dougie Hamilton. Sam Bennett. Trusted media sources and hockey insiders don’t materialize this stuff out of thin air.

But what Gaudreau could focus on Wednesday, publicly, was the fact the Flames have been successful with their roster as is.

“Whether it happens or doesn’t happen, we know we have a good team in our locker room,” said the 28-year-old who played at Boston College, Eichel’s college rival at Boston University. “We’re playing well — this is probably the best we’ve played to start a season off in a long time. Right now, we focus on the guys in our locker room and the teammates we have in our locker room and focus on Dallas and go from there.”

Ah, yes, Thursday’s game against the Dallas Stars. We almost forgot about that, especially after ESPN insider Kevin Weekes tweeted on Wednesday afternoon that the Flames had Matthew Tkachuk, an upcoming first-round pick, a former first-round pick, and two prospects as part of Calgary’s package for Eichel.

Stay tuned …

Right now, the Flames are playing smart, Sutter-influenced hockey with a focus on shot volume, puck possession, and a tight defensive structure.

They’re getting good goaltending, their power play is clicking, and, my gosh, are Gaudreau, Elias Lindholm and Andrew Mangiapane off to amazing starts.

Heading into their 10th game on Thursday, it’s the best start the team has had since Gaudreau joined the team in the 2014-15 campaign.

By a mile, too. The closest they came to this season’s record was a 5-4-1 start in 2019. They had the exact record in 2014-15, too, which was Gaudreau’s first season.

“I think everyone’s playing well,” he said. “We’ve got outstanding goaltending from both our goaltenders. We’re being smart with the puck and playing well with leads … we’re playing hard. I think everyone came in well prepared for the start of the season.”

And give Sutter credit — he’s been a big part of the turnaround.

“I just think Darryl expects a lot out of every player. If you’re not playing, if you’re not performing, he’s going to let you know,” Gaudreau continued. “Even in games we have won, if some guys aren’t playing well, he’s letting us know. Whether we win or lose, he holds guys accountable. I think that’s something we’ve been missing in the past here over the past six or seven years.

“We haven’t had a coach like this to make sure guys show up each night.”

It is interesting to think what Sutter could do for a guy like Eichel, who hasn’t played since March 7 when the Sabres’ doctors shut him down with a herniated disc in his neck. He’s managed to squeeze the maximum amount out of stars like Gaudreau, Lindholm, Mangiapane, Tkachuk. Even Sean Monahan is coming around to his role on the team’s fourth line.

The 25-year-old still requires surgery, a kind of artificial disk replacement surgery that would be a quicker healing process yet has never been done on an active NHL player. It started the feud with the Sabres in the first place, as team doctors wanted him to take the conservative approach and undergo a fusion surgery.

And while Sutter didn’t say much on Wednesday, he did say when asked to give a scouting report on Eichel: “I haven’t seen him play for a long time. Doesn’t sound, listening to reports, it doesn’t sound like he’s going to play for a long time. He’s an inactive, active player.”

kanderson@postmedia.com