There were no “We Don’t Want You!” chants from the Garden crowd centered on Jack Eichel on Tuesday night, as Rick Nash was once serenaded when he came to town with the Blue Jackets a week before the 2012 trade deadline.
In fact, there was the occasional somewhat feeble, “We Want Eichel” sung from the audience, which was 1,800 strong for the Rangers v Sabers game, not that the Blueshirts hierarchy held a referendum during their 3 -2 win.
Not that anything that happened in this one, which opened with a bang and then crawled to an extended finish where the Blueshirts sent three shots to the net in the final 30:28, would change the dynamics of a possible Eichel megatrade to New York.
Because, yes, the Rangers want him too.
For a moment, however, it seemed as if the sight of Eichel, the unfortunate 24-year-old center hoping to leave Buffalo, as he works toward a sixth year with no playoff appearance since his second overall selection in the 2015 draft, served as motivation for Mika Zibanejad, whose Rangers tenure would be in serious jeopardy if Eichel reached Manhattan.
Zibanejad, who came into the game with one five-on-five point in 166th place and the last of the NHL forwards with at least 235:00 play, Pavel Buchnevich jumped for a half-break with the winger in just 28 seconds. converted the match. for a 1-0 lead.
Then, after the Sabers tied 27 seconds later in an action where Eichel picked up the secondary assist, Zibanejad’s leading edge turned the streak that saw Alexis Lafreniere take the credit for the 2-1 in 2:36.
Two teams for the Zibanejad line and two goals. Can’t do better than that. Unfortunately that was pretty much it for the unit from an offensive standpoint, not that the rest of the team could do much too, aside from Chris Kreider’s left-wing arrow at 9:32 of the second period for a 3-1 lead. .
Indeed, Zibanejad finished with just 4:36 PM time, his smallest replenishment ice in a full game since January 4, 2019. Gone are, at least for now, the days when coach David Quinn leans on Zibanejad for 23 minutes a night. .
Here’s the thing. Given the limits of the limits, it’s essentially an impossibility for the Rangers to house both Eichel, the shiny new apple they are at least semi-lusty for, and Zibanejad. It will either / or … or maybe not in the not-so-distant future if the first 20 games are an accurate portrayal of what the Swede has become.
If Kevyn Adams, Buffalo’s freshman general manager, wants to move his team captain before the April 12 deadline instead of waiting until the off season, it would be next to impossible for the Blueshirts to get into action unless they somehow Zibanejad could handle. , which has a full no-move clause.
24-year-old Eichel, whose season was barely an overwhelming success, while surrounded by dysfunction who has been a steady companion since the Sabers last qualified for the postseason in 2011, has a five-year contract with a flat fee of $ 10. million each. It’s a pricey one, okay, but the Rangers – or any other team – won’t have to deal with arbitration or any possible free choice for the next half-decade.
Cost will be decisive as the Blueshirts wonder how much they are willing to send Buffalo’s way in exchange for an undoubtedly stud in the middle. The Rangers thought they had their stud in Zibanejad, but this season’s demise has made it essentially impossible for the club to renew his contract a year ahead of free agency this summer. In other words, there is a need for a long-term primary care center.
There are not many franchise-style players trading at such a young age. Tyler Seguin was only 21 when he (and Rich Peverley) went from the Bruins to the Stars after his third year in exchange for veteran Louie Eriksson and a handful of pieces, but he hadn’t settled in at the time. Nash was 28 when he came to the Rangers (with a third-rounder to become Buchnevich) in exchange for Brandon Dubinsky, Artem Anisimov, Tim Erixon and a first-rounder.
Indeed, the last franchise-style player to be traded at such a young age was Joe Thornton, who went from the Bruins to the Sharks at the age of 26 in exchange for one of the most meh packs of all time, involving Boston Brad Stuart, Marco got. Sturm and Wayne Primeau.
Where do the Rangers sign up for the equivalent of that? Oh, get it: Fantasyland.
The Blueshirts, so lean organizational in the middle, are in dire need of a headliner from the first unit. Eichel, who played his only season at Boston University with Quinn as his coach, ticks all the boxes. The Sabers recognize how badly the Rangers want him.
But Rangers GM Jeff Gorton will not be blackmailed. The fans didn’t want Nash and got him. Nine years later, fans want Eichel. We will see.