Speculation: Jack Eichel cont'd

[Richiebottles]

Who wants to trade for Eichel when they know that they won't be able to use him for at least 4-5 months anyway.

Tampa could get away with it, but don't have the assets that Buffalo wants.

Rangers needs help now, not in March.

Florida?

NJ are 1-2 seasons away from being a serious challenger, so perhaps them, since they do have many good young players.

I still think the Habs make the most sense.

They can afford to write off this season, next year Price is back, they have (potentially) a top pick stepping into the lineup and Eichel back taking Weber's salary.

 

[HogtownSabresfan]

you obviously don’t comprehend how insurance works.

fact— buffalo insured the contract

fact— insurance isn’t required to cover the contract if he either doesn’t recover from experimental/ not recommended procedure and either never plays again or gets reinjured after returning.

ADR is experimental/ non recommended by doctors.

if Eichel wants ADR but he has to absorb the risk of losing money if he can’t play again or gets a reinjury of the surgical area.

Nailed it. Eichel wants no financial risk. The kid is real piece of work.

 

[Moose and Squirrel]

Eklund keeps spouting Eichel to STL, but I just don't see it

and nothing against Eichel, but I don't want STL to have to give up what they'd want. Team looks pretty good right now, and another forward is not what is needed

 

[is the answer jesus]

Who wants to trade for Eichel when they know that they won't be able to use him for at least 4-5 months anyway.

Tampa could get away with it, but don't have the assets that Buffalo wants.

Rangers needs help now, not in March.

Florida?

NJ are 1-2 seasons away from being a serious challenger, so perhaps them, since they do have many good young players.

There's suitors for Eichel. He has multiple years left on his deal. Him being unable to play now certainly isn't ideal, but teams don't just take a short-term approach to roster building. He's young enough he can fit a rebuilding team and there's still the potential he could return for a late season run for a win now team as well.

 

[Fjordy]

Eklund keeps spouting Eichel to STL, but I just don't see it

and nothing against Eichel, but I don't want STL to have to give up what they'd want. Team looks pretty good right now, and another forward is not what is needed

Eklund can name 30 teams where Eichel is trading, and probably won't guess.

 

[Fjordy]

Who wants to trade for Eichel when they know that they won't be able to use him for at least 4-5 months anyway.

Tampa could get away with it, but don't have the assets that Buffalo wants.

Rangers needs help now, not in March.

Florida?

NJ are 1-2 seasons away from being a serious challenger, so perhaps them, since they do have many good young players.

Flames, Columbus, Ducks maybe.

 

[Bowski]

Asking those in the know.
Does all of this time off help Eichel heal in any way, or is it surgery or bust even if he takes 5 years off?

 

[DavidBL]

Asking those in the know.
Does all of this time off help Eichel heal in any way, or is it surgery or bust even if he takes 5 years off?

Pretty sure even the team has acknowledged that surgery is needed at this point. The extra rest wont do much if anything. Some of the interviews I've heard suggested that longer this waits more harm could actually be done. But I can't confirm that so don't take my word on it.

 

[Ledge And Dairy]

I meant 2022 obviously, smart one !

Eichel is a one dimensional, lazy player. I hope Buffalo is ready to be disappointed with the return.

Tell me you've never watched a Sabres games without telling me you've never watched a Sabres game

 

[Dr Quincy]

Fact: I posed this summer that maybe the problem with the surgery is insurance. Everyone missed the MAYBE out of that and instead it morphed into a “fact”. Apparently I’m more credible with speculation than Eklund is

Fact: Grant Marshall (not the TikTok kid, apparently) had fusion surgery in 1990, while playing for the Ottawa 67s, after breaking his neck against the Sudbury Wolves. He ended up playing until 2008, won 2 Cups, and was known to drop the gloves a lot. So that’s 3 neck fusion surgeries, with 2 being successful.

There’s not gonna be many, because most hockey injuries are either the back or to the brain. It’s actually kind of surprising there isn’t more neck injuries.

Yup, I see that as being pretty much how it happened (not just you, but also some people on reddit an other places). A couple people say this is a possibility, which is totally logical and of course insurance issues would be a major thing for any team here.

Unfortunately, a fellow BU player is the most famous on ice neck injury- Travis Roy.

 

[duckpuck]

Asking those in the know.
Does all of this time off help Eichel heal in any way, or is it surgery or bust even if he takes 5 years off?

I'm not a doctor, but from what I understand, at this point the likelihood of the issue resolving by itself is very low. And that raises another point - delaying the surgery actually presents the risk that the recovery won't be as good or could take longer.

The reason is that there is very likely currently pain resulting from pressure on the spinal column or other nerves. Even after the procedure, those nerves need to recover and nerves can take a long time to heal - the pain often does not go away immediately. So the longer he waits - the more the nerves are injured/irritated/damaged, the longer the recovery.

 

[Bowski]

I'm not a doctor, but from what I understand, at this point the likelihood of the issue resolving by itself is very low. And that raises another point - delaying the surgery actually presents the risk that the recovery won't be as good or could take longer.

The reason is that there is very likely currently pain resulting from pressure on the spinal column or other nerves. Even after the procedure, those nerves need to recover and nerves can take a long time to heal - the pain often does not go away immediately. So the longer he waits - the more the nerves are injured/irritated/damaged, the longer the recovery.

Thank you for the explanation.

So now, is Eichel involved in some kind of Lloyd's of London insurance fraud to not play? Is he pulling a Rude/Hennig insurance scam deal?

Why not actually fight to play by any means necessary like a true pro athlete?

 

[Boxscore]

Eklund keeps spouting Eichel to STL

Cross the Blues off the list.

 

[Daz28]

you obviously don’t comprehend how insurance works.

fact— buffalo insured the contract

fact— insurance isn’t required to cover the contract if he either doesn’t recover from experimental/ not recommended procedure and either never plays again or gets reinjured after returning.

ADR is experimental/ non recommended by doctors.

if Eichel wants ADR but he has to absorb the risk of losing money if he can’t play again or gets a reinjury of the surgical area.

I wonder if the acquiring team would even be able to find an insurance carrier for the experimental surgery? If not, and the surgery fails or Eichel isn't the same, that leaves the acquiring GM left holding the bag of $40M+ AND the lost assets. I can't see any owner seeing that as an 'oh well we tried' situation. Not sure Eichel and/or his agent thought all of this through, but you can bet the GM's are thinking it now. If GMKA gets 4-1st rounders I'll be amazed. I'd be afraid to give up 2.

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

Eklund keeps spouting Eichel to STL, but I just don't see it

and nothing against Eichel, but I don't want STL to have to give up what they'd want. Team looks pretty good right now, and another forward is not what is needed

Eklund's a joke, He could name 30 NHL teams for Eichel and all 30 teams would be wrong.

 

[ijuka]

I wonder if the acquiring team would even be able to find an insurance carrier for the experimental surgery? If not, and the surgery fails or Eichel isn't the same, that leaves the acquiring GM left holding the bag of $40M+ AND the lost assets. I can't see any owner seeing that as an 'oh well we tried' situation. Not sure Eichel and/or his agent thought all of this through, but you can bet the GM's are thinking it now. If GMKA gets 4-1st rounders I'll be amazed. I'd be afraid to give up 2.

... It's not an experimental surgery, man.

 

[ijuka]

In terms of what I'd do myself, I would go with the disk replacement surgery and retire. That line probably has LTIR possibilities and you might be able to get the rest of your contract's salary, but even if not, I'd do it. Eichel's set for life anyway with his tens of millions, he doesn't need any more money. And I'd rather have my health than anything else. I honestly think it's pure insanity that he wants to continue playing after that surgery.

 

[bleedblue94]

It will be very interesting if freidman is correct and eichel files the greivance within 2 weeks. That will make this a very messy situation that I don't think anyone wants to see...

 

[duckpuck]

It will be very interesting if freidman is correct and eichel files the greivance within 2 weeks. That will make this a very messy situation that I don't think anyone wants to see...

The language of the CBA supports Buffalo - it says the team gets to decide on treatment. But the optics of the NHL and a team making a health care decision based on what is best for the team in the short run and its hockey prospects - as opposed to the player's long term health - will be really ugly.

I keep thinking of the situation where Ronnie Lott (great NFL player) once injured the tip of his pinky finger so badly that it was going to take 8 weeks to heal. His other option was to amputate the tip and not miss a game. Lott elected to amputate the tip and not miss a game - but has been disfigured for life. Lott made the choice - not the team. Ronnie Lott Chopped His Pinky Off So He Didn’t Miss a Game

Imagine a scenario where the team told Lott he had to have his pinky tip amputated? Best for the team in the short run, but worse for the player for the rest of his life. The Eichel situation is not too far off from this type of situation. The only difference is that if Eichel has the replacement surgery, the long term prognosis for playing NHL hockey is unknown. Though if the surgery fails, apparently (based on this board), he'll just have fusion surgery. So hard to see the harm in trying. And to the larger point, Buffalo is going to trade him in any event, so the ultimate outcome shouldn't matter to them.

 

[TerminatorBlue]

It will be very interesting if freidman is correct and eichel files the greivance within 2 weeks. That will make this a very messy situation that I don't think anyone wants to see...

That's why I think he will get dealt soon, they made the mistake of holding out for an unreasonable return and now a lot of teams have moved on. They pretty much only have two options let him have the surgery and risk losing him for good or cutting their losses and trade him for the best offer on the table. Almost November and the window for him playing this year is closing fast.

 

[tsujimoto74]

That's why I think he will get dealt soon, they made the mistake of holding out for an unreasonable return and now a lot of teams have moved on. They pretty much only have two options let him have the surgery and risk losing him for good or cutting their losses and trade him for the best offer on the table. Almost November and the window for him playing this year is closing fast.

You forgot option 3: do nothing and keep waiting. There's 0 chance Eichel wins that grievance. That's why he's only filing it now instead of ~6 months ago when he first could have. The Sabres haven't violated the CBA, he's got no wrong-doing to point to.

 

[duckpuck]

You forgot option 3: do nothing and keep waiting. There's 0 chance Eichel wins that grievance. That's why he's only filing it now instead of ~6 months ago when he first could have. The Sabres haven't violated the CBA, he's got no wrong-doing to point to.

Zero chance? Really? Google "implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing discretion." Then tell me if you think its 100% clear that NHL players collectively bargained away their right to long term health. Maybe they did - but I don't think anyone knows how an arbitrator would rule. And more importantly, teams and the NHL don't want to litigate this issue - total no win for the league. If they win the grievance, there will be a public outcry and a lot of player acrimony. If they lose the grievance, teams will lose a lot of the control they have over player medical treatment - something they clearly don't want to chance.

 

[tsujimoto74]

Zero chance? Really? Google "implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing discretion." Then tell me if you think its 100% clear that NHL players collectively bargained away their right to long term health. Maybe they did - but I don't think anyone knows how an arbitrator would rule. And more importantly, teams and the NHL don't want to litigate this issue - total no win for the league. If they win the grievance, there will be a public outcry and a lot of player acrimony. If they lose the grievance, teams will lose a lot of the control they have over player medical treatment - something they clearly don't want to chance.

Yup. 0 chance. The Sabres let Eichel consult all the outside doctors he wanted to, as required. Just because he found 1 or 2 that will push for the surgery he wants doesn't mean the Sabres' spine specialist is obligated to change his medical opinion.

Also, you can put that GoogleLaw degree away; I'm an actual lawyer.

 

[BB88]

Nailed it. Eichel wants no financial risk. The kid is real piece of work.

Eichel wants to make sure he makes the right decision for the rest of his life (healt wise)
Sabres are only concerned about his health during his career

 

[General Fanager]

Nailed it. Eichel wants no financial risk. The kid is real piece of work.

LOL Nonsense. He has to live with the results for the rest of his life.

The Sabres are only trying to preserve their asset value.