SEATTLE – With rumors heating up that the Calgary Flames are hot on the trail of a Jack Eichel trade, coach Darryl Sutter tried a smokescreen with the media after practice Wednesday when asked for his reaction to his club's reported interest.
"I wasn't aware of that ... that's just a media thing, to be quite honest," Sutter said, according to a tweet from veteran beat writer Kristen Anderson of the Calgary Sun.
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ESPN reported Tuesday the Flames and Vegas Golden Knights appear to be the two best bets for Eichel's final destination, although the network said Sabres General Manager Kevyn Adams was holding firm on his demands and no deal had been struck.
The Buffalo News initially stoked the Calgary fires by reporting Monday that Don Maloney, Calgary's vice president of hockey operations, was at the Sabres' games in both Anaheim and Los Angeles to start this road trip.
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Asked after Tuesday's overtime loss to Nashville what he thought of Eichel, Sutter simply said, "I would think you would have to ask the general manager about that, not the coach."
The media doubled back on the topic Wednesday, and Sutter had a more detailed reaction.
Buffalo fell to 1-2 on its Western road trip as San Jose won despite seven players in Covid protocol.
"I haven't seen him play for a long time," he said. "Doesn't sound, listening to reports, it doesn't sound like he's going to play for a long time. He's an inactive, active player."
Eichel, of course, needs surgery on the herniated disk in his neck and is likely out at least three months and perhaps longer from playing again once he has a procedure.
The Sabres, meanwhile, were off Wednesday. They wrap up their four-game Western swing Thursday night with their first meeting against the Seattle Kraken in Climate Pledge Arena. It's a 10 p.m. Eastern start on MSG.
