The months-long Jack Eichel saga reached its dramatic conclusion on Friday with the three-time National Hockey League All-Star finally undergoing his preferred artificial disk replacement surgery in Colorado. The Vegas Golden Knights released a statement on Friday, saying they will announce a timetable for a return to the ice at a later date.
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 disk, the impetus for a lengthy and, at times, hostile standoff with 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 and his camp went looking for a resolution, making his departure from Buffalo all but inevitable.
After appearing to Sabres training camp and failing his physical, the Sabres revoked Eichel’s captaincy and the 25-year-old was sent home until further notice.
After months of fielding offers for the disgruntled franchise center, the Sabres eventually traded Eichel and a conditional 2023 third round pick last week Thursday to Vegas in exchange for Alex Tuch, prospect Peyton Krebs, a top-10 protected first round pick in 2022 and a conditional second round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Eichel went under the knife soon after the trade, 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 the 2019-20 season, 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 Semifinal Round this past summer before bowing out to the Montreal Canadiens in six games.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
