CHN Puck Links: Eichel injury wipes out trade rumors – for now

Happy Saturday. As I speak, the snow is finally starting to come down. Let’s do some puck links to pass the time, starting off with something on Jack Eichel:

• He’s out indefinitely with a upper-body injury. That’s going to quiet some trade rumors that had been growing. I don’t claim to be an insider on his situation in Buffalo, but I think he’ll be traded by the next season. The Sabres are a mess, and while it hasn’t been Eichel’s fault, they’ve been a last-place team even when he’s been healthy. The Sabres need better players around him, including a goalie, but the biggest reason why I think he’ll be traded is that I bet he’s just sick of it there and wants to start over somewhere else. That’s just my opinion. More on the Eichel situation here: (The Score)
• Marc-Andre Fleury was placed in the COVID protocol on Wednesday. However, it was confirmed he suffered a false positive, and he started Friday night. Here’s the full Fleury story.
• The Avs have had two players who received false positive tests this season: Hunter Mieska and Shane Bowers. That’s why Bowers needlessly missed some of training camp, in fact.
• Edmonton Oilers GM Ken Holland says he wants an impact player, but it’s dollar-in, dollar-out for the Oilers. 
• The Toronto Maple Leafs are hunting a top-six winger. 
• Minnesota’s Karill Kaprizov is on fire. The rookie had a hat trick on Friday night. Here are the Kaprizov highlights
• It’s almost halfway in the NHL season, and Ryan Gilbert writes, it’s time for the Flyers to show what they’re made of. 
• The New York Islanders are rolling through the East Division. 1A goalie Ilya Sorokin is getting the job done.
• The Los Angeles Kings, like the Avs, did not practice Saturday. But it may not have been just because of the snow. Kings coach Todd McLellan said on a Zoom call that several Kings players woke up “not feeling well”, but that he didn’t think it was Covid-related.
• It’s a tough blow for the first-place New York Islanders as they are going to lose Anders Lee to injury for what sounds like a long period of time. Our Christian Arnold has the story from the Island. (NYI Hockey Now)
• Darryl Sutter gets his first win for the Calgary Flames as there’s clearly a new sheriff in town with his arrival. (Calgary Sun)