Speculation: Jack Eichel

[ORRFForever]

It's been speculated. Do you have a source that definitively stated it?

If you are correct then why would any team make any offers for Eichel at all, and we know that teams have? Aren't those other teams concerned about having a $50m contract uninsured?

It's been more than speculated. People with a strong knowledge of the CBA have commented on it.

If you don't think it's an issue, that's fine.

 

[jay from jersey]

Sad to say, but I don’t think he plays this season as the situation currently stands. No playoff team is going to give the assets up to get him and wait for months to come back. That’s silly. He’ll get moved in the offseason or draft before his NMC kicks in.
I don’t quite get the Sabres strategy here. It’s not like he’s gaining value. He’ll have 1 year less on his contract and he’s not even on the road to rehab yet, with the NMC coming down the pike. If they are writing the year off as a wash for him, they decreased his value and are giving themselves a more narrow window to trade him in. Not really a great idea if you ask me....

 

[ORRFForever]

What proof do you have that insurance won't cover it?

I'm not going to go digging for proof - it's been discussed for months. If you think it's untrue, that's cool.

 

[supsens]

As of right now it’s not a massive money issue.

Any supporting evidence to any of this?

It’s a huge money risk, gets surgery plays for a month says it hurts too much retires and wants his money.
Gets surgery doctor says “I can’t clear him to play if gets crippled I am at fault”
Retires gets his money

 

[ORRFForever]

Skiing/Snowboarding has a much higher incidence of spinal and head injuries than hockey and this procedure is recommend for those who are eligible for it even if they do a recreational sport like that.

The NHL being married to spinal fusions is just an example of not keeping up with the times from a medical standpoint. Yeah there is some risk, but there is to every surgery. If Eichel isn't the first someone else will be.

Please let Jack know what you think. The Sabres too - see if you can change their mind.

 

[bernmeister]

That seems unlikely. They'd lose him for nothing. They'd likely wait to see how the recovery goes, and then terminate the deal if it goes badly

Edit: ORRforever beat me to it. But yeah, I dont see why there would be a deadline on contract termination

I also doubt Eichel would be so principled as to risk his contract so this is a pickle

One other way out here is for club to allow Eich to buy his way out of his current contract, on installment, IF the procedure is successful and for him, now becoming a free agent, or his new club, to cash compensate Sabes.

So I lost track but what is it, 5 years at 10m per?

Ok, so he absorbs all the cost and risk of the surgery.
If it is successful, he gets a new deal.
So he gives his first 1m of salary on the first year of the new deal.
Then for next 4 years of service, he gives his first 4.5m per or something like that.

That gives sabes $$ to invest in quality salary adds --- IF they have the cap,

But they don't want that.
They want max cheap and productive highest quality player assets for him now, without taking any risk, and being compensated as if Eich has no probs.

Yeah, I think either they blink or they take multiple 7ths that can each turn into a 1st if Eich produces each corresponding yr of his current contract.
Would make him closer to an offer sheet signing, only more, and conditional.

 

[Meichel Kane]

My take is that he’ll likely be a distraction.

You said the team won’t let him be around the players, physically.

I’m saying if not physical interaction, he can still call/text with team mates. Not to mention constant questions from the media can very much be a distraction, especially if the season isn’t going very well. I don’t see what’s naive about any of that.

It's going to be rough watching this Eichel drama derail this promising Sabres season.

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

So 17 days until the start of the 2021-2022 season. When the f*** is this guy getting traded? You figure it would have happened by now.

you’re being a primadonna. He has no value currently since he is injured

 

[supsens]

Skiing/Snowboarding has a much higher incidence of spinal and head injuries than hockey and this procedure is recommend for those who are eligible for it even if they do a recreational sport like that.

The NHL being married to spinal fusions is just an example of not keeping up with the times from a medical standpoint. Yeah there is some risk, but there is to every surgery. If Eichel isn't the first someone else will be.

Unless said snowboarder is boarding into a tree at high speed over and over again they are not even close to the same thing

 

[57special]

It's going to be rough watching this Eichel drama derail this promising Sabres season.

 

[thewookie1]

Had the Sabres accepted any of the reportedly decent offers they received months ago, questions 1 and 2 wouldn’t matter to Buffalo. What the team wanted was equal value for a happy, healthy, Captain Eichel. He is none of those now. Now the team is still stuck with questions. Which surgery will he get? When will he get it? How will he play afterwards? How much distraction will all of this cause throughout the season? Will teams still want him? Will they offer MORE then they did previously? That’s a big gamble when they could have made a decent trade months ago and moved on.

Well none of the offers were any good from what we heard. Taking the ROR assets back would of been a travesty to Buffalo. Never again should we sell a player under contract for the best offer at the moment. When teams try to steal Eichel for your 4th best prospect and a few mid to late 1sts and 2nds and a cap dump you can’t consider that even relatively worth taking the deal. We aren’t accepting a trade with a boat load of secondary pieces and toss ins. If we are going to hurt from the trade, the other team is sure as hell going to as well.

 

[Stephen]

Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek interviewed Dr. Chad Prusmack on 31 Thoughts in the summer. Sounded like a surgery that NFL players have had too, so maybe it's just outside of NHL convention. I have my doubts that Jack Eichel would be insisting on a surgery that's going to end his career so he can collect on his contract... sounds like he wants to get back to full health with a full range of motion...

 

[flashsabre]

So 17 days until the start of the 2021-2022 season. When the f*** is this guy getting traded? You figure it would have happened by now.

The Sabres should personally apologize to you. I mean not taking an inferior trade return so a deal could be done on your personal schedule. It’s an outrage!!!!

 

[Mr Positive]

Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek interviewed Dr. Chad Prusmack on 31 Thoughts in the summer. Sounded like a surgery that NFL players have had too, so maybe it's just outside of NHL convention. I have my doubts that Jack Eichel would be insisting on a surgery that's going to end his career so he can collect on his contract... sounds like he wants to get back to full health with a full range of motion...

Then why not get it? If the Sabres are offended and cancel the contract, he could sign elsewhere

 

[Stephen]

Then why not get it? If the Sabres are offended and cancel the contract, he could sign elsewhere

I mean, if he can maneuver his way into getting the surgery and preserving the $50 million contract and a ticket out of town, that would be the preference.

 

[The Moose is Loose]

Unless said snowboarder is boarding into a tree at high speed over and over again they are not even close to the same thing

Thats not what I said
Just that skiing/snowboarding as a sport leads to more cerebral/spinal injuries than hockey does, which is highly relevant when discussing ADR surgeries.

Yes hockey and skiing are different methods of trauma but to say they're not even close isn't accurate. They're both athletically derived sources of injuries, usually occurring at high velocity, resulting in similar thoracolumbar blunt trauma (as opposed to penetration or medically produced spinal injuries).

 

[Old Navy Goat]

Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek interviewed Dr. Chad Prusmack on 31 Thoughts in the summer. Sounded like a surgery that NFL players have had too, so maybe it's just outside of NHL convention. I have my doubts that Jack Eichel would be insisting on a surgery that's going to end his career so he can collect on his contract... sounds like he wants to get back to full health with a full range of motion...

That's incorrect, no NFL player has had it and Dr Prusmark said he wouldn't recommend the surgery to one due to the type of potential impact

 

[supsens]

Thats not what I said
Just that skiing/snowboarding as a spot leads to more cerebral/spinal injuries than hockey does, which is highly relevant when discussing ADR surgeries.

Yes hockey and skiing are different methods of trauma but to say they're not even close isn't accurate. They're both athletically derived sources of injuries, usually occurring at high velocity, resulting in similar thoracolumbar blunt trauma (as opposed to penetration or medically produced spinal injuries).

 

[The Moose is Loose]

Please let Jack know what you think. The Sabres too - see if you can change their mind.

I think its likely Jack talked to a doctor that shares my mindset, thus his desire to get the surgery. A perfectly preformed ADR will essentially restore the entire range of motion with no pain. At its best its basically a faultless replacement.

The Sabres are pushing for a fusion because its a more known quantity amongst NHL players and they don't care that Jack would have less cervical spine rotation for the rest of his life- they just need him for the next decade or so.

 

[supsens]

Thats not what I said
Just that skiing/snowboarding as a spot leads to more cerebral/spinal injuries than hockey does, which is highly relevant when discussing ADR surgeries.

Yes hockey and skiing are different methods of trauma but to say they're not even close isn't accurate. They're both athletically derived sources of injuries, usually occurring at high velocity, resulting in similar thoracolumbar blunt trauma (as opposed to penetration or medically produced spinal injuries).

High speed resulting in injuries does not make it the same. In skiing it is called an accident and yes it happens.
In pro hockey you are hit with a heavy impact over and over and over.
Take a heavy bag wrap it in armor and have some one bounce it off you and repeat. How does that resemble skiing?

 

[ORRFForever]

I think its likely Jack talked to a doctor that shares my mindset, thus his desire to get the surgery. A perfectly preformed ADR will essentially restore the entire range of motion with no pain. At its best its basically a faultless replacement.

The Sabres are pushing for a fusion because its a more known quantity amongst NHL players and they don't care that Jack would have less cervical spine rotation for the rest of his life- they just need him for the next decade or so.

I agree with everything except the last 27 words.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

This couldn't have been handled any worse.

 

[ORRFForever]

This couldn't have been handled any worse.

Eichel's also been a jackass so you just can't blame the Sabres.

 

[supsens]

I think its likely Jack talked to a doctor that shares my mindset, thus his desire to get the surgery. A perfectly preformed ADR will essentially restore the entire range of motion with no pain. At its best its basically a faultless replacement.

The Sabres are pushing for a fusion because its a more known quantity amongst NHL players and they don't care that Jack would have less cervical spine rotation for the rest of his life- they just need him for the next decade or so.

That’s the part that sucks for Jack the team wants him to do what’s best for them and the Doctor is in sell sell sell mode.
Most insurance companies in the US will not pay for the surgery he wants, this leaves very few humans that can afford to have a disk replaced, proving the product they have spent many millions developing is a must. Opening the market in the NHL/NFL is the main goal here

 

[The Moose is Loose]

High speed resulting in injuries does not make it the same. In skiing it is called an accident and yes it happens.
In pro hockey you are hit with a heavy impact over and over and over.
Take a heavy bag wrap it in armor and have some one bounce it off you and repeat. How does that resemble skiing?

I'm confused what you're arguing? Do you think that a normal check is going to somehow going to knock out an artificial disk? Quite simply thats not the case.
The artificial disk is anchored into the vertebral bone with two titanium plates, titanium fixation keels, and a plasma coating. This isn't a dainty delicate disk gently sitting in the spine. The disk itself is made of a fusion between titanium and surgical grade polyethylene and is drilled into place. Its quite steadfast and isn't more likely to move than a normal person's natural disks.

The concern isn't that it would get knocked out. An example of a concern would be if Eichel was tripped on a breakaway and went head first into the boards at 40 km/h. The kind of incident that could potentially hurt any players neck, but there is the possibility of additional damage to Eichel's spine because of the surgery.