The months-long Jack Eichel saga reached its dramatic conclusion Friday with the three-time All-Star finally undergoing his preferred disk replacement surgery in Colorado. It’s been a long time coming for Eichel, who hasn’t seen the ice since injuring his neck in March. He was later diagnosed with a herniated spinal disk, the impetus for a lengthy and, at times, hostile standoff with his former team, the Buffalo Sabres.
Eichel was adamant about undergoing disk replacement surgery, a risky procedure Buffalo’s medical staff would not approve. With neither side budging, Eichel requested a trade, making his departure from Buffalo all but inevitable. The Sabres responded to his demand by revoking Eichel’s captaincy, escalating tensions to a point of no return.
After flunking his physical at the start of Sabres training camp, the team began fielding offers for the disgruntled 25-year-old, eventually trading him to Vegas in exchange for Alex Tuch, prospect Peyton Krebs and a pair of draft picks (Buffalo would also receive a third-round pick in 2022). Eichel went under the knife soon after with early estimates calling for a three-month recovery.
Selected with the second overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, the Massachusetts native paced the Sabres with a career-high 36 goals in 2020 while also dishing out 42 assists. Eichel agreed to an eight-year, $80-million extension with Buffalo prior to the 2017-18 season, making him one of the highest-paid players in the sport. When healthy, Eichel should be a major contributor for the Golden Knights, who advanced to the Stanley Cup semifinals this past summer before bowing out to Montreal in six games.
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