Byfield Injury, Eichel Trade Chatter & More

The NHL regular season is just around the corner and we’ve got your Links, News & Notes from around the league on this lovely Thursday morning.

• LA Kings forward Quinton Byfield is out indefinitely with a fractured ankle. This is a big blow for the 2020 second overall pick who was looking to start the season with Los Angeles after a strong camp and solid showing in preseason action.
• Some less depressing comments on the Brady Tkachuk contract situation came from Elliotte Friedman’s latest 32 Thoughts. The news from Bruce Garrioch and Andy Strickland has sent Sens fans into turmoil the past few days so it was refreshing to see Friedman say he thinks Tkachuk does want to be in Ottawa long term. Friedman also stated the obvious in that Tkachuk is likely looking to understand just how unstable the ownership situation is. If I’m Tkachuk, I don’t know that I’d want to tie myself to Eugene Melnyk for the next 8 years either, based on what we’ve seen on his inability and/or unwillingness to spend.
• Yesterday, Darren Dreger updated us on the Jack Eichel situation, saying they could be inching closer to a conclusion. It sounds like the medical situation is becoming clearer which means those teams who are interested in acquiring Eichel will have a better picture of what they’re willing to spend to get a deal done, knowing how long he’ll be out for.
• A ton of players have been hitting waivers the last few days, including Kole Lind (SEA) and Aaron Dell (BUF). For teams looking for some extra depth, this is the time of year for claims to happen. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few players claimed as we head into the regular season.
• Already missing captain Shea Weber, it looks like the Montreal Canadiens will be starting the season without Carey Price or Joel Edmundson due to illness/injury. Neither look to be long term but it will be interesting to see how Montreal kicks off the season down so many important pieces./