Yesterday, a piece of information/speculation was delivered by Andrew Zadarnowski, that Jesperi Kotkaniemi might try to "control" his future. It all makes sense this way. What if Jesperi Kotkaniemi was aware of the possibility of being included in a deal bringing Jack Eichel to Montreal? What if his desire was not to join a team like the Sabres, which would have pushed him to accept the Carolina Hurricanes' offer in order to avoid joining Buffalo.
It's still unclear whether Bergevin will retain the services of his first-round pick in 2018, but with the Montreal GM's current radio silence, it's hard to predict the future. There's talk of a 700% raise and a potential new long-term deal, which indicates which way it's leaning, right?
Anyway, regardless, the Sabres and Habs would not be on the verge of a deal including Jack Eichel, so this avenue must be "crossed off" of the plausible options in this matter.
