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Rumor: 'Final destination' for Eichel may be down to just 2 teams.
Jeffrey T. Barnes/Associated Press  

Rumor: 'Final destination' for Eichel may be down to just 2 teams.

Eichel trade appears imminent.

Jonathan Larivee

The Jack Eichel saga may soon be coming to an end.

Several National Hockey League insiders are now reporting information that leads us to believe that we are closing in on a trade involving the former Buffalo Sabres captain. The first news came earlier today when NHL insider Darren Dreger revealed that trade talks surrounding Eichel had once again started to pick up steam.

That news has since been followed by NHL insider Frank Seravalli reporting that the Las Vegas Golden Knights and the Buffalo Sabres have made significant progress when it comes to working out the framework of a trade deal, a trade deal that would of course involve the aforementioned Eichel. According to Seravalli a number of complications, including the salary cap, injuries, and even roster considerations are the final stumbling blocks between these two teams.

It would appear as though the Sabres are however not looking exclusively at a trade with the Golden Knights. Former NHL goaltender turned NHL analyst Kevin Weekes is reporting that at least one other team remains in the mix as a potential 'final destination' for Eichel, with that team being the Calgary Flames.

Last week we began hearing reports that the Eichel camp was seriously considering the option of filing a grievance in relation to this ongoing fiasco. Although it is difficult to say whether or not this is pure coincidence, it does appear as though the timing of that news has pushed these trade talks forward and it finally sounds like we may be nearing a deal here.

I have long since passed the point where I started feeling sorry for Eichel, who throughout this entire process has been waiting on the sidelines with an injured neck. Eichel has been unable to get the surgery that he wants to correct the issue, due to the fact that the Sabres do not agree with his prefered choice of surgical procedure, and as a result has had to spend months suffering with this problem.

The sooner this is over with the happier I think every hockey fan who has heard about this story ad nauseum is going to be.