Is the relationship between Jack Eichel and the Buffalo Sabres broken beyond repair?
Jack Eichel dropped a bomb on the hockey world on Monday by (very) vocally expressing his displeasure with the Buffalo Sabres, and a neck injury he suffered.
“I’ve been a bit upset about the ways things have been handled since I’ve been hurt,” he said. “I’d be lying to say that things have moved smoothly since my injury. There’s been a bit of a disconnect between myself and the organization. It’s been tough at times. Right now, for me, the most important thing is just trying to get healthy, figure out a way to be available to play hockey next year, wherever that might be.”
That last line is the most important as it shows Eichel, who has five-years left on a contract paying him $10-million, may not even want to be a Buffalo Sabre in the future.
Tuesday morning, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman shared more information as to what’s happening.
According to multiple sources, Eichel had a contentious exit interview with the organization. No one is commenting, but it’s believed he is exploring — on the advice of his medical team — an artificial disc replacement in his neck.
The Sabres and their captain are believed to have agreed to a month-long “pause” to see how Eichel reacted to rest. The end of that period is approaching, and, from what I understand, he still wants the surgery. The Sabres aren’t thrilled with the idea, and have not indicated they will approve.
The surgery is a cutting-edge new technology that allows for movement to be retained in the person undergoing the surgery, vs. prior techniques that would’ve seen a fusing of the vertebrae.
So what does this all mean for Eichel and for the Sabres? Well, it’s apparent that what’s transpired has caused a serious rift. As noted by Freidman, “arguments about medical care are much harder to fix than debates over franchise direction.”
At this point it’s hard to imagine Eichel playing another game for Buffalo. These types of relationship issues are not easily amended, and we’ve seen other elite athletes not shying away from different types of therapy to heal themselves. Look at Connor McDavid and his incredible recovery from this PCL injury.
If Eichel becomes available in a trade — despite teams past efforts to trade for him — he would quickly become the league’s hottest commodity and would bring back a massive haul for the Sabres that would easily rival some of the biggest trade hauls in years. It’s not unreasonable to think the price would be multiple first round picks, top prospects and/or roster players. Talk around the trade deadline suggested four first round picks, or players/prospects of equal value, could be a starting price.
Eichel, 24, was drafted second overall by the Sabres in the 2014 draft. He’s appeared in 375 games for the Sabres scoring 139 goals and 355 points.
Zach Laing is the Nation Network’s news director and senior columnist. He can be followed on Twitter at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach@oilersnation.com.