The price to acquire Jack Eichel revealed

Look, it's no secret that Buffalo Sabres superstar Jack Eichel isn't exactly satisfied with how things are going in Buffalo these days. The 23 year old forward is now five seasons into his NHL career and has beeen nowhere near the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This has led to widespread rumor reports that Eichel is unhappy in Buffalo and could be seeking a trade elsewhere.

Publicly, Eichel has never intimated anything about a trade. But the frustration in his voice is clear. 

Check out his comments from late last month:

"Look, I'm fed up with the losing & I'm frustrated. ... It's been a tough couple of months. It's been a tough five years. ... I want to win the Stanley Cup every time I start a season. ... I'd be lying if I said I'm not getting frustrated with the way things are going."

Now... does this mean the Sabres are trading Eichel? No. Does it mean he'll never play for the team again? No.

But, at the same time, there are general managers out there reading between the lines. And if one of them puts together a strong enough offer, well anything is possible. Which leads us to Dan Rosen's latest column for NHL.com. Rosen goes into detail when asked about what it might take to acquire Eichel in a trade.

Check it out:

It's hard to quantify Eichel's worth when I don't feel he's on the trading block. It would take a lot to get the 23-year-old center, as in high draft picks, top prospects and at least one key NHL player. And why would the Buffalo Sabres, if they were even considering trading Eichel, limit themselves to the six other teams that aren't part of the NHL Return to Play Plan? That makes no sense. If they even want to think about moving Eichel, who was the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, behind Connor McDavid to the Edmonton Oilers, they need to open the bidding to all 30 teams that could inquire. But to your question, surely the teams that aren't returning to play -- the New Jersey Devils, Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators, Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks -- should ask about Eichel's availability. And, surely, Sabres general manager Jason Botterill should tell them to make an offer if they feel it's worth their time. It also makes zero sense for the Sabres to tell teams, "Forget about it." I know they feel Eichel is a huge part of the solution, but it doesn't cost anything to hear what other teams feel he's worth to them. In the end, I fully expect Eichel to be back with the Sabres. He's frustrated and voiced that last week, but the Sabres have to work with him and build around him.

Okay so... high draft picks, top prospects and at least one key NHL player. That's a steep price, but if you can pay it and acquire a superstar like Eichel you do that all day, everyday. Interesting insight from Rosen.

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