The main storyline that dominated the summer of 2021 was the Jack Eichel saga. The Sabres had not allowed him to get the neck surgery he wanted, and he wanted out of Buffalo. The New York Rangers were a team that had a lot of interest in the star center. All the rumors and speculation made it feel like Eichel going to the Rangers was inevitable.
But multiple factors prevented the two teams from agreeing to a deal. But what if they had? What would have happened if the Rangers had traded for Eichel before the 2021-22 season?
Is Jack Eichel enough to get the Rangers over the top?
The biggest question in this timeline is what the package for Eichel would look like. During that summer, it was rumored that the Sabres wanted at least an NHL-ready player, a top-end prospect, and some draft capital. Based on this plus what the Sabres got from the Golden Knights in real life, we can assume the package would be Ryan Strome, Kappo Kakko, and a 2022 first-round pick. There may be another prospect or late-round pick, but that would be the main package.
Eichel would join a Rangers team and immediately become the team's top-line center. He would be joining the team right as their championship window started to open. They would still finish second in the Metro, with Eichel missing a few months due to the surgery. But they would be much more dominant in the playoffs. They would easily get through the Penguins and Hurricanes. They would also likely be able to beat the Lightning and make it to the Cup Final. They'd fall short to the Avalanche, but it'd be a big statement.
The Rangers would show that they were back and ready to win a Cup. A core of Eichel, Adam Fox, and Igor Shesterkin would be one of the best in hockey. Instead of the Panthers being the dominant team in the East during the 2020s, it's likely the Rangers. They would constantly be making deep runs in the playoffs and likely win at least one Stanley Cup somewhere between 2023-2025. The falloff that happened during the 2024-25 season also does not happen because the culture is completely different.
Having Eichel on the team also impacts Mika Zibanejad's future. Once it became clear the Rangers weren't getting Eichel, they invested in Zibanejad as their number one center. That's why they gave him an eight-year deal with an $8.5 million average annual value. But with Eichel, it's very unlikely he gets that deal. The Rangers would not pay two players top-line center money, especially when the cap was flat. It's likely Zibanejad walks in free agency at the end of the 2021-22 season.
Had the Rangers traded for Eichel before the 2021-22 season, it would have ushered in an era of dominance the organization has not seen. It would have gone down as the greatest trade in Rangers history.
Add us as a preferred source on Google