Eichel's camp to meet with Sabres one last time regarding disk replacement surgery

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Brennen Beaudin
October 22, 2021 (10:48)

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Buffalo Sabres star forward Jack Eichel and his camp will be meeting with Sabres management to make one last pitch to convince them to let him get his preferred surgery.

The 24-year-old currently has a herniated disk in his neck, and with trade rumors swirling, there is more urgency for him to be operated on sooner rather than later. At first, Eichel thought the team would let him get his surgery, a disk replacement surgery. The problem is that the team prefers he receive a fusion surgery because an NHL player has never received a disk replacement surgery. With this being said, the NHL collective bargaining agreement rules state that the team has the right to make the final decision on how to treat a player's injuries.

There are still at least five teams that would be interested in trading for the star center, and many more will likely be calling. Although, the asking price has still not changed since the trade rumors surfaced.

If the Sabres continue to deny Eichel's request, he could file for a grievance, which would likely be used as a final hope in trying to get his way. Eichel also failed his physical before the season started, which ended up having him stripped of his captaincy as well as him landing on the team's injured reserve list.

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