Eichel - Buffalo Hockey Beat

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

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

Goalie Linus Ullmark says goodbye to Buffalo: ‘Sabres fans, I love you guys’

In the barely a week, the Buffalo Sabres have said goodbye to four of their most talented players: goalie Linus Ullmark, center Sam Reinhart and defensemen Jake McCabe and Rasmus Ristolainen.

And in the coming days or weeks, they will likely trade captain Jack Eichel, their most dynamic player and the face of the franchise.

Remember, the Sabres finished dead last in the 2020-21 season, winning only 15 of their 56 games, with those players... Read the full article

Losing top goalie Linus Ullmark in free agency would be huge blow to Sabres

The days of the Sabres trying to lure big-name free agents to Buffalo are over. When the market opens today, they’ll likely be bit players, focusing on filling some of their many holes and adding depth while attempting to re-sign goalie Linus Ullmark.

Ullmark’s departure would be a massive blow to the Sabres. The Swede, their backbone and MVP, earned nine of the team’s 15 wins last season in only 20 outings.

They don’t ... Read the full article

Moving on: Sam Reinhart, Sabres knew it was time for trade

BUFFALO – For years, center Sam Reinhart wanted to sign a long-term contract with the Sabres, the team that drafted him second overall in 2014.

But when Reinhart’s entry-level contract expired in 2018, he only received a two-year deal. Last year, he settled for a one-year contract from the Sabres’ new regime.

Then the Sabres endured a miserable 2020-21 season, finishing dead last. Reinhart, one of their only bright spots, grew more frustrated as the ... Read the full article

Kevyn Adams would have ‘no problem’ if Jack Eichel starts season on Sabres

BUFFALO – As expected, general manager Kevyn Adams began overhauling the Sabres around the NHL Draft, trading center Sam Reinhart and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. For now, disgruntled captain Jack Eichel is still on the team.

Eichel, of course, is expected to be dealt this summer. But what if a trade doesn’t materialize? Dealing him is extremely complicated. The ultra-talented center has a herniated disc in his neck, five years left on his contract and ... Read the full article

Ex-Sabre Rasmus Ristolainen welcomes fresh start after trade to Flyers

BUFFALO – In defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen’s first eight seasons, the Sabres morphed into the NHL’s laughingstock, finishing dead last four times and winning barely one-third of their games.

The constant losing and turmoil – Ristolainen played for a whopping six coaches and four general mangers, stunning numbers that illustrate the Sabres’ futility – wore on him. The straight-shooting Finn often voiced his frustration.

On Friday afternoon, hours before the Sabres picked Michigan defenseman Owen Power... Read the full article

As offseason ramps up for NHL Draft, Sabres could start making trades

BUFFALO – Just after 8 tonight, the Sabres will add a potentially franchise-changing talent in defenseman Owen Power, winger William Eklund or one of the other special NHL Draft prospects available to be picked first overall.

But right now, the draft, a virtual event that starts with the first round tonight, almost feels secondary. The Sabres have hit a critical juncture during an offseason in which they could trade captain Jack Eichel, their ... Read the full article

NHL Draft prospect Mason McTavish could give Sabres power forward

Last November, Mason McTavish started pursuing a temporary gig playing overseas. With the Ontario Hockey League season paused because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NHL Draft prospect needed to shake off the rust and showcase his talents.

Later that month, McTavish, a star center for the Peterborough Petes, thought he would be flying to Switzerland to play for Olten EHC. He was in Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montreal ready to leave when he ... Read the full article