The seemingly never-ending saga between Jack Eichel and the Buffalo Sabres added a new salty chapter on Thursday morning.
Eichel reported to Sabres training camp and promptly failed a physical due to the well-known issues with his neck.
Eichel wants to get artificial disk replacement surgery and the Sabres want him to get a “simpler” disc fusion surgery. Neither is budging and that ultimately led to Eichel being stripped of the Sabres’ captaincy Thursday.
Kevyn Adams says Jack Eichel is no longer the captain of the Buffalo Sabres.
"I feel the captain is the heartbeat of your team," Adams said. "I felt that we needed to address that."
— John Vogl (@BuffaloVogl) September 23, 2021
Eichel has been captain of the Sabres since October of 2018 almost exactly a year after signing an eight-year, $80 million contract extension to stay in Buffalo long term.
Sabres GM Kevyn Adams: Jack Eichel failed his physical.
Jack Eichel's health is most important to the organization. We were hoping to avoid surgery, but it is needed. Eichel will not accept Sabres' desire for fusion surgery.
He is on injured reserve.
— John Vogl (@BuffaloVogl) September 23, 2021
In late July, Eichel’s representatives released a statement on the player’s desire for a trade and the disagreement between the two parties about the surgery.
Jack Eichel’s agents issue the following statement: pic.twitter.com/tiPXShdchz
— John Vogl (@BuffaloVogl) July 31, 2021
In mid-August, New York Rangers’ podcasters spent a boatload of money to purchase a billboard next to Sabres home KeyBank Arena which read #FREEJACK.
Buffalo,
The time has come.
Starting today for the next two weeks in honor of our 300th episode:
Blueshirts Breakaway has purchased a billboard on I-190 next to the Buffalo Sabres KeyBank Arena demanding an Eichel trade.
We all want this Jack Eichel saga to end.#FreeJack pic.twitter.com/RNVQToorFK
— Ryan Mead (@OhRyanMead) August 16, 2021
Eichel changed agents at the end of August, leaving Peter Fish and Peter Donatelli of Global Hockey Consultants and turning to longtime Sidney Crosby rep Pat Brisson. That didn’t change anything either.
The entire long, tiresome process continues to unfold and it doesn’t seem as if a true end is in sight any time soon.
GM Kevyn Adams on no Jack Eichel trade: “If there was a solution over the course of the summer, and it was one that would have made sense, we would have done it.” #Sabres
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) September 23, 2021
Screenshot: @jackeichel/Twitter
