5 NHL teams that should make an offer for Jack Eichel

Potential Jack Eichel suitor: Philadelphia Flyers

The Flyers are not in dire straits, as the East’s No. 4 seed in the upcoming NHL playoffs, but they also don’t feel like a certified Cup contender. General manager Chuck Fletcher is also not one to rest on his laurels, for better or worse. So a major move heading into Alain Vigneault’s second season as head coach is easy to point to.

Philadelphia has a convenient trade chip in defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere. After a 65-point season in 2017-18, he fell off last year (37 points in 78 games) and his production dropped even further this year (12 points in 42 games). He has been recovering from knee surgery and missed 21 games, which is an important caveat. But the Flyers seem inclined to move him this offseason if they can.

Via Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer, answering a mailbag question about which Flyers’ player is most likely to be traded this offseason.

"Shayne Gostisbehere is the most likely guy, but as I’ve written, the Flyers will need to get a good return for an offensive-minded defenseman who, despite consecutive subpar seasons, has loads of potential. And, remember, this season he was hindered by a knee injury that recently required surgery."

Eichel would be a great return, not merely a good one in a deal involving Gostisbehere. The Flyers would obviously have to include more to get Buffalo’s attention, let alone actually get a deal done, but that won’t stop “Trader Chuck.”

Here’s a deal that could bring Eichel to Philly.