It's actually not an individual choice and he cannot get any surgery he wants, he is under contract and the team has control over this kind of stuff hence why he's "upset". You'd be a moron to terminate the contract he has to get an uninsured surgery with your career on the line, he can cry and whine all he wants but if he believes it's the best option then he just has to walk away from the guaranteed 50m he has left on his contract.
I don't think any team in the league is going to approve that with 5x10m being on the line, even if it's insured, the assets used to acquire Eichel would be significant.
This is not actually true. The team is on the hook for the player contract regardless they do have insurance to cover the LTIR situations but this does not relieve the league from compensation due to injury. Further and I will use quotes. "CBA provides players with access to medical treatment for employment-related conditions at the teams’ expense" SO they are on the hook for the treatment. "NHL agreements also have explicit language providing that team physicians owe their primary obligation to the players, not the team. Even so, team physicians are expected to share medical information concerning players with coaches and others in the organization. The physician’s freedom to disclose players’ medical information to team officials is quite explicit in the CBA: “A Team physician may disclose all relevant medical information concerning a player to (i) the General Manager, coaches, and trainers of the Team by which such player is employed ." This seems to be arguable as it conflicts with HIPPA but the players association agreed with this but stuck by with this. "The contractual agreement across the leagues is that the team can require players to submit to medical examinations, during which players have a duty of candor. In addition to and in furtherance of the duty of candor, players are required to report injuries to the team physician. Players are entitled to expert medical care that is focused on the player’s health, but teams have a right to be informed of information about a player’s ability to perform." This in no way gives teams or team physicians the ability to dictate treatment, this provides that the team can be informed of the injury or illness. Further at teams expense the player "Player’s Right to a Second Opinion. Team physicians perform their services under a potential conflict of interest in that their player-patient’s interest and their team-employer’s interest could lead to different decisions affecting the player’s health.62 Team physicians make judgments that can adversely affect a player’s long-term health and his ability to earn a living. The power of team physicians to impact the careers of players is strikingly illustrated by the weight attached to the physicians’ decisions as to whether or not a player is medically fit to play." So a team physician can determine that a player can not be cleared to play but that does not relieve the team from payment it just triggers insurance coverage for LTIR and its effect on the leahue. Consider Kuch for a moment this is the reason the Lightning are taking so much shit about possible circumvention, using a medical need determined by team physicians as needed. Now we think that it was needed and Kuch bought off on it. If a player persues a second opinion "The teams want to stay in the loop when a player seeks a second medical opinion. The Contract provides that if a player decides to consult his own physician, he must notify the team and authorize the physician to disclose the results of the examination to the extent that they may affect the player’s performance. The NFL and NHL CBAs have special provisions, generally requiring collaboration between the player and the team, in the event that a player requires surgery" Abd with that said it only requires collaboration as pertaining to keeping the team informed it does not give the team power to dictate treatment. Even if it is for a so called experimental procedure. "As between the player and the team, the guiding principle of disclosure of medical information is transparency. How well this principle is applied is open to some doubt. As noted, players may have economic reasons to be less than candid with the team. Moreover, commentators have suggested that the team may be less concerned with the player’s health than with the player’s availability to perform and, so, fall short on candor, as well."
So in shot Eichel is on the right side of this when it comes to treatment. He remains in control of the decisions. The team is still on the hook for his contract as well thats why they carry insurance to cover LTIR and why CAP is adjusted for players who are placed on LTIR be it short term like Kuch or long term like the many who due to injury were forced to leave the game there. There is also disability insurance carried by the players association that will pay the player a lump sum for a disability according to a schedule a couple examples "
| Loss of Brain Functions | $5,000,000 |
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| Loss of Sight (both eyes) | $4,000,000 |
| Loss of Sight (one eye) | $2,000,000 |
| Loss of Hearing or Speech | $750,000 |
| Loss of Hearing and Speech | $1,000,000 |
| Loss of One Hand or Foot | $750,000 |
| Loss of Any Two Hands or Feet | $1,000,00 |
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This is not linked to the contract compensation but is an additional benefit.
Now the Sabres may well try to fight this but contractually Eichel is on the right side of this according to the CBA. But like all things you can take anything to court.
