Report: Teams calling Sabres about Eichel, other players

Teams are calling the Buffalo Sabres with interest in captain Jack Eichel and multiple other players, TSN's Darren Dreger reports.

The conversations are expected to progress leading up to the July 23 draft when Buffalo will pick first overall, Dreger adds.

Eichel's future with the Sabres organization has been a major talking point since a rocky end-of-season interview in which the superstar revealed he's upset with the club's handling of his neck injury and that he's looking forward to next season "wherever that may be."

The 24-year-old sustained a herniated disc in his neck in March, which caused him to miss the remainder of the campaign. Eichel implied in May that he wished to undergo surgery, but the team wouldn't allow it.

General manager Kevyn Adams addressed the situation a few days after Eichel's comments, saying Buffalo will proceed with "the people who want to be here."

Eichel has five more seasons on his current contract at $10 million per and has a full no-movement clause kicking in for the 2022-23 season. The dynamic center has notched 355 points in 375 games since the Sabres drafted him second overall in 2015.

Buffalo finished 31st in the NHL this past campaign, extending its playoff drought to 10 seasons.