Adams - Buffalo Hockey Beat

Sabres star Jack Eichel stripped of captaincy, fails physical

BUFFALO – Sabres center Jack Eichel was stripped of his captaincy Tuesday and later failed his training camp physical, general manager Kevyn Adams said this morning.

Eichel, who has a herniated disc in his neck, still refuses to have the fusion surgery the team’s doctors have recommended, Adams said.

“We had an easy solution,” Adams said of the fusion surgery. “We would’ve acted on it.”

What happens next is unclear. Eichel, 24, wants to have ... Read the full article

In addition to Jack Eichel, Sabres have plenty of intriguing storylines

When Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams addresses the media this morning, questions about injured captain Jack Eichel’s uncertain status will dominate the season-opening news conference.

Did Eichel pass his training camp physical Wednesday? Will the ultra-talented center have surgery to repair his herniated disc? Does he have a future in Buffalo?

Throughout the offseason, the Sabres remained tight-lipped about Eichel’s neck injury and any plans they have to grant his wish and trade him. But ... Read the full article

Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin has contract, chance to thrive under Don Granato

Over the final weeks last season, defenseman Rasmus Dahlin shook off a ghastly three-month slump, morphing into the Buffalo Sabres’ most dynamic presence some games.

Dahlin, 21, started playing confidently again, showcasing a calmer, more composed style while utilizing his speed and embracing the physical side.

His transformation under new coach Don Granato illustrated that despite some struggles, he possesses the talent to develop into one of the NHL’s premier defensemen.

In the near ... Read the full article

Captain Jack Eichel back with Sabres for training camp after long offseason

OK, so maybe Jack Eichel hasn’t played his last game for the Buffalo Sabres. Perhaps later this season, if the captain undergoes neck surgery, he could wear blue and gold again.

That thought, of course, seemed preposterous not long ago. Eichel wants to be traded. The relationship between the Sabres and their frustrated star seems to have suffered irreparable damage over his desire to have artificial disc replacement surgery, a procedure the team won’t ... Read the full article

Sabres excited to watch prospect Jack Quinn play center: ‘Very good at it’

BUFFALO – Jack Quinn acclimated to center right away as a rookie, recording two assists in his debut. Had the Sabres prospect not undergone season-ending hernia surgery in April, he would’ve closed the AHL campaign pivoting a line.

“He … was very, very good at it,” Rochester Americans coach Seth Appert said of Quinn’s two-game stint at center.

So Quinn, the eighth overall pick last year as a right wing, will be playing center during ... Read the full article

Sabres prospect Isak Rosen possesses array of special talents: ‘Perfect vision’

Winger Isak Rosen’s selection by the Buffalo Sabres last month turned out to be a blip during a hectic NHL Draft weekend.

Consider that barely an hour before the Sabres drafted Rosen 14th overall July 23, they added a potentially franchise-altering asset by taking defenseman Owen Power with the first pick. Earlier that day, the Sabres traded defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen to the Philadelphia Flyers in the deal that netted them the pick they used to ... Read the full article

Doctor makes case for Sabres’ Jack Eichel having disc replacement surgery

Undergoing artificial disc replacement surgery is the best short- and long-term option to repair the herniated disc in Jack Eichel’s neck, according to a Colorado-based neurosurgeon who has examined the Buffalo Sabres captain.

Dr. Chad Prusmack told the “31 Thoughts” podcast that Eichel, who wants to undergo disc replacement surgery, could play six to 12 weeks after having the procedure.

The Sabres don’t want Eichel to undergo disc replacement surgery, which Prusmack would perform. ... Read the full article

Jack Eichel’s agents upset with Sabres, want star to have neck surgery

Jack Eichel’s agents issued a statement Friday night in which they say the Buffalo Sabres are preventing the 24-year-old from playing by refusing to let him undergo artificial disc replacement surgery in his neck.

Eichel’s camp initially believe the Sabres had approved surgery, the agents wrote.

“Repeated requests (for surgery) have been made to the Sabres since early June to no avail,” wrote the agents, Peter Fish and Peter Donatelli.

Fish and Donatelli gave the ... Read the full article

In Will Butcher, Sabres add intriguing talent to blue line for nothing

BUFFALO – As NHL general managers scramble to make offseason moves and fit fat contracts under the $81.5 million flat salary cap, they’ve been gifting talented, high-priced players and draft picks to teams willing to accept big money.

Prior to free agency, the Chicago Blackhawks acquired a combined $12 million cap hit in goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and forward Tyler Johnson.

For the 2020-21 Vezina Trophy winner and a regular on the past two Stanley Cup ... Read the full article

Sabres GM Kevyn Adams sends strong message to Jack Eichel’s camp

BUFFALO – General manager Kevyn Adams’ strong words sounded like a not-so-subtle message to Jack Eichel’s agents, who recently said they expect the Sabres to trade their captain soon.

Adams won’t give in to Eichel’s demands and simply deal his best player because he wants out. The Sabres have an asset under contract.

“What’s critically important to make sure is clear that we’re in control of this process,” Adams said Thursday inside KeyBank Center. “We ... Read the full article