Is Eichel’s Agent Switch Good Or Bad For Bruins On NHL Trade Market?

What does Jack Eichel’s agent switch mean for the Boston Bruins if they still want to acquire him off the NHL trade market?

As reported here on Thursday night, the NHL trade talks for Buffalo Sabres captain Jack Eichel were expected to intensify and the Boston Bruins were one of a plethora of teams still keeping tabs on what the Sabres might do with Eichel and when. 

“They are all so done with this sh*t, trust me,” a source exclaimed to Boston Hockey Now on Thursday. “I’m not saying it happens but I know everyone is hoping something goes down in the next two weeks.”

Maybe not so surprisingly, just before noon on Friday, Sportsnet Insider Elliotte Friedman tweeted that Eichel had decided to switch agents and will no longer be represented by the Global Hockey tandem of Peter Fish and Peter Donatelli. Eichel has now entrusted NHL agent mogul Pat Brisson to find his way out of the hell in Buffalo.

A development in the Jack Eichel situation: hearing he is now going to be represented by Pat Brisson.

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) August 27, 2021

While Eichel’s impending neck surgery and how it’s done has been a gigantic contention between him and the Sabres, as reported here Thursday, it hasn’t necessarily been a sticking point on the NHL Trade market. Eichel most likely is now hoping Brisson can work the magic that keeps such clients like Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon, and Patrick Kane happy. Brisson’s annual value of contracts he’s facilitated is over $20 million but Eichel isn’t worried about that because he is locked in at $10 million per for the next five seasons. Instead, Eichel is banking on Brisson’s reputation and cozy relationships with a large group of NHL GMs to free him up on the NHL trade market.

So where does that leave the Boston Bruins in all this and can they benefit from Brisson taking over and snag Eichel off the NHL trade market?

Well, as reported first in our weekly ‘Off The Record’ Column, Sabres GM Kevyn Adams was, and apparently still is, looking for at least four components for Eichel on the NHL trade market. At one time, it was even six:

“They want six components for Eichel. …six!” an NHL executive told BHN back in June. “I get that Kevyn is in a really tough spot and needs to make sure he can get as close to Jack’s worth as possible, but this is just crazy. We’re talking a top-six center 25 years or under, a top 4 defenseman 25 or under, a first-round pick, and an assortment of three prospects. In this market and with so many teams trying to build from within because of the cap, how is he going to get that? Then, you don’t even know how Jack’s back will hold up.”

While Brisson may be able to help an interested team on the NHL trade market negotiate that down, Eichel leaving Global Hockey doesn’t help much because Fish and Donatelli had a very good rapport with Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney. Not to make it worse for Bruins fans, but Brisson has a close relationship with Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin. Eichel has already been tied to the Habs before. Could the Bruins’ arch-rival land the North Chelmsford, MA native on the NHL trade market?

Oh, the horror!