Rasmus Dahlin
Alright, this is a hard ask. Rasmus Dahlin has just under the value that Eichel has, but he’s voiced his frustration with the organization. If he’s already frustrated and the team is about to trade away its best player, the next few years aren’t going to go well.
Dahlin’s entry-level contract ends this season. The Sabres have $35 million in cap space next season even with a flat cap, and if they trade Eichel that becomes $45 million. They have all the money possible to pay Dahlin, but if he doesn’t want to sign, what are they going to do? They could just move Heaven and Earth and offer him a $10 million contract to stay and be a rich, miserable person, but that’s not the best way to build a team.
The Devils wouldn’t be at the top of Dahlin’s list based on their past success, but they have the money to offer him a monster contract and the assets to make a deal work without ruining the present and the future. The deal starts with Ty Smith and multiple 1st-round picks. Actually, the Sabres probably hope it starts with Hischier, but the Devils can make a deal work without trading its new captain.
Dahlin would change the trajectory of the Devils forever. If they can go into the next era with Hughes, Hischier, Blackwood, and Dahlin, it will be a contender for a decade. Obviously, filling the rest of the team matters, and losing Smith and say Alexander Holtz would be hard to replace, but in this scenario, it might be worth it.