April 15: At his media availability today with reporters including John Vogl of The Athletic, Sabres GM Kevyn Adams explained that Eichel will be re-examined in early May but for now will continue rehab, not undergo surgery.
April 14: The Buffalo Sabres have actually played better of late, but bad news is coming down about their captain. The team has announced that Jack Eichel will miss the rest of the season due to a herniated disk in his neck. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported that Eichel is expected to need surgery but should be healthy for the start of the 2021-22 season.
You couldn’t script a worse season for Eichel, who came into the year with huge expectations after scoring 36 goals and 78 points in just 68 games during the shortened 2019-20 campaign. He had taken the next step in his career and the front office had rewarded him by bringing in a top free agent, signing Taylor Hall to a one-year $8MM deal specifically to play alongside Eichel. Well, Hall is now in Boston after quickly playing himself off Eichel’s wing and recording just two goals in 37 games, while the Sabres’ captain will finish his season with just 18 points in 21 games played.
The fact that Eichel had just two goals of his own is an incredible dropoff for a player that had 137 through his first five NHL seasons and strongly contributed to the Sabres league-worst record. Now the question becomes whether or not Eichel has played his last game for the Sabres, as trade rumors have followed him in each of the last several offseasons and will only grow in volume after this brutal year.
It has now been nearly six years since the Sabres selected Eichel second overall behind Connor McDavid in 2015. In that time he has yet to even sniff the postseason, with the Sabres finishing no higher than sixth in their division during his career. He’s played through the entire coaching tenures of Dan Bylsma (2015-17), Phil Housley (2017-19), and Ralph Krueger (2019-21) without any real success, despite his own high point totals. The fact that he’s making $10MM per season for the next five years will only increase the trade talk as the Sabres obviously need to go through a real rebuild if they want to compete.
Eichel will turn 25 in October and is now facing a long rehab with plenty of uncertainty surrounding the future of the Sabres. This won’t be the last time his name graces the headlines before the start of 2021-22.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Jack Eichel will be a New York Ranger next season
* LA King
* Buffalo Sabre
Maple leafs lol
HC Kunlun Red Star!
* Montreal Canadien
Rangers could offer a solid winger (Kreider, Kakko), great young D prospect (they have 3) not named Fox, and Zibby for Eichal and still be in amazing shape going forward.
That’s way too much.
This is a legit top 5 center in the league (just not this year). What do you think it costs to get one?
Rangers are headed in the right direction, no need to make a major deal like that.
A legit top line center with a busted neck and an armored truck filled with cap crashing contract. Rangers are just fine where they are. No need to overpay for the name. This team is going to be a good, young, and deep team for many years.
I find it interesting that this news comes out now AFTER the trade deadline. What this tells me is that Buffalo was listening on Jack eichel and the offers weren’t quite there to ship him out.
Nobody would have made a trade for him at the deadline without a return timeline. Adams said at the presser after the deadline they hadn’t closed the door on his return this season.
He’d have to pass a physical. I doubt they were looking to screw anyone over.
Definitely not screw anybody over but Jack may have found his way back earlier on a playoff team then he does now with a last-place team?
How many teams have the ability to make a trade that would interest the Sabres? If you are the Sabres you would want 2 young pieces + 2 or 3 high draft picks to trade Eichel. Do you really want 2 or 3 higher priced veterans (who probably are not producing) to accept at the trading deadline?
This team is playing over .400 hockey under Granado mostly playing a lot of the younger players. Eichel has to see that & wonder if the team had him & can make some minor improvements this offseason how next season could unfold (as the younger players improve so does the Sabres ability to climb the standings).
I’m not sure anyone would be willing to give up the treasure chest Buffalo would seek in return without any assurances prior to the deal that he’s healthy and proven. If Buffalo tool less back, maybe, but I doubt that would be the case.
Good point.
The Sabres have been a lot better under Granado & they are playing above .400 hockey under him. I dont see a “total rebuild” happening since they are already playing most of their younger players now. A healthy Eichel with some Improvements of the younger players & making some trades this offseason to address some areas (even minor ones) the team should have a lot better record next season. They are probably a few years off from earning a playoff spot but Cozens, Middlestat (who is playing better under Granado), Dahlin (same as Middlestat), they also have Quinn coming up + their next 1st round draft choice gives the team some future building blocks. The biggest thing this teams needs to do is to draft better rounds 2 to 4.
Trade everything. Find a real coach and real GM.
At least in a dumpster fire, you can put out the fire and you still have a dumpster.
The Sabres have nothing but a cool logo.
The team since they fired Krueger has been playing more competitive & is over .400. Skinner & Okposo are definitely not players that can be traded. A majority of the remaining players are younger players (Middlestat, Dahlin, Olofsson, Cozens, Thompson, Joker) have gotten more playing time under Granado & they are responding. Granado has earned the right to coach next season. They have Quinn playing in the AHL (due to the OHL situation) & will get to draft another player high this upcoming offseason. To be playing over .400 under your interim coach & having your 1C out for the year shows you this team at least can play hard & earn points.
Rangers are headed in the right direction, no need to make a major deal like that.