Could Jack Eichel become hockey's Tommy John?

SladeWilson23

I keep my promises.
Sponsor
Nov 3, 2014
26,735
3,220
New Jersey
With all of the chaos surrounding Jack Eichel and his surgery, it got me thinking. Back in 1974 Tommy John a pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers was recommended by Frank Jobe (who was an orthopedic surgeon and Dodgers team physician) to have this procedure called UCL reconstruction. It ended up being called Tommy John Surgery and has been a huge success in baseball.

Could this happen in hockey as well for Eichel?
 

Chips

Registered User
Aug 19, 2015
8,309
7,053
I keep reading an NHL player hasn’t had the surgery, but didn’t some professional fighter then he came back, and or some other athletes? If that’s the case then I feel like the “no nhl player” argument is an excuse by the team to desperately try to keep his value up
 

Rangers79

Registered User
Aug 10, 2012
957
758
New Jersey

ffh

Registered User
Jul 16, 2016
8,362
5,073
What if the Sabres allow him to have the operation he wants and it doesn't go well and he can't play again then don't they have to pay him for 5 years. Maybe they think it's to risky and want to try a more conventional operation.
 

Statto

Registered User
Sponsor
May 9, 2014
4,889
6,648
Really quite an interesting story, for those that haven't followed it all that closely. Complete bs that the Sabres have the final say in what kind of surgery eichel gets
It would be the same for any NHL player. The team is on the hook to pay him if the surgery goes wrong, so of course they get the say. If Eichel were to get it done anyway he’d be in breach of his contract and if it fails and ends his career the team would have a get out. Eichel doesn’t want to take that risk, but it is a choice open too him. He can’t have it both ways, nor can any player.
 

Captain97

Registered User
Jan 31, 2017
7,610
7,175
Toronto, Ontario
What if the Sabres allow him to have the operation he wants and it doesn't go well and he can't play again then don't they have to pay him for 5 years. Maybe they think it's to risky and want to try a more conventional operation.

That's terrible logic in medicine, especially when lots of other contact sport playing athletes have and the surgery.

If we only ever do what's conventional I'm medicine we'd still have prescription Cocaune and Heroine for stuff like tooth aches. Conventional medicine isn't always best.
 

Nucks N Canes

Registered User
Jun 22, 2011
1,190
144
That's terrible logic in medicine, especially when lots of other contact sport playing athletes have and the surgery.

If we only ever do what's conventional I'm medicine we'd still have prescription Cocaune and Heroine for stuff like tooth aches. Conventional medicine isn't always best.
This is so absurd. They are just saying they don't agree with it in this instance. Both team and player have dug in so much that this issue has become much bigger than what the actual issue is. And that is Buffalo and Eichel have been clashing for awhile
 
  • Like
Reactions: ruaware41

Nighthock

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Jul 25, 2007
18,156
1,420
Nevada
honest-tommy-john-underwear-review.jpg
 

Oddbob

Registered User
Jan 21, 2016
15,766
10,309
This isn't the same thing. A pitcher needs his pitching arm to be perfect or near perfect to do well. There isn't necessarily just one body part a hockey player needs to do well.
 
  • Like
Reactions: grentthealien

MarkusKetterer

Shoulda got one game in
With all of the chaos surrounding Jack Eichel and his surgery, it got me thinking. Back in 1974 Tommy John a pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers was recommended by Frank Jobe (who was an orthopedic surgeon and Dodgers team physician) to have this procedure called UCL reconstruction. It ended up being called Tommy John Surgery and has been a huge success in baseball.

Could this happen in hockey as well for Eichel?

Difference is Frank Jobe was putting his secondary career on the line. As an employee of the Dodgers, they were more likely to listen to him.

The doctor Eichel got to suggest this surgery isn’t a Sabres doctor.

That being said, if Eichel wants this surgery so badly, sign a waiver letting the Sabres off the hook for $50M if it fails. Why should the Sabres take all the financial risk?
 

Filthy Dangles

Registered User*
Oct 23, 2014
28,356
39,703
I don't think it's realistic at all but imagine if Eichel got so fed up with it all that he got the surgery done by a 3rd party without Buffalo's permission.

He'd be killing two birds with one stone, getting the medical treatment he wants, and getting out of Buffalo. But very risky money wise
 

serp

Registered User
Jan 17, 2016
20,545
12,391
I would think if Eichel agreed to waive his salary if things went badly after his surgery ( be it complications or other things related to the artificial disc) later on he could have his specific surgery. I don't think he's willing to put $50 m on the line though.
 

Legionnaire11

Registered User
Jul 12, 2007
14,101
8,151
Murfreesboro
atlantichockeyleague.com
I keep reading an NHL player hasn’t had the surgery, but didn’t some professional fighter then he came back, and or some other athletes? If that’s the case then I feel like the “no nhl player” argument is an excuse by the team to desperately try to keep his value up

Vinny Pazienza? Famous for fighting Roberto Duran.
 

Frank Drebin

He's just a child
Sponsor
Mar 9, 2004
33,478
19,467
Edmonton
Difference is Frank Jobe was putting his secondary career on the line. As an employee of the Dodgers, they were more likely to listen to him.

The doctor Eichel got to suggest this surgery isn’t a Sabres doctor.

That being said, if Eichel wants this surgery so badly, sign a waiver letting the Sabres off the hook for $50M if it fails. Why should the Sabres take all the financial risk?
I thought insurance paid for injured players?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hivemind

serp

Registered User
Jan 17, 2016
20,545
12,391
I thought insurance paid for injured players?

I don't think an insurance company is going to pay for a surgery that has never been done by an NHL player and they certainly won't cover if things go wrong. This likely will qualify as breach of insurance contract and the compary will , probably succesfully , try to wiggle out of paying a cent .

So if the Sabres were to allow the surgery they'd be on the hook if things went badly and not the insurance compary.
 

Frank Drebin

He's just a child
Sponsor
Mar 9, 2004
33,478
19,467
Edmonton
Freidman had the surgeon on his latest podcast. It's amazing how doctors and surgeons can be world class salesmen as well but I digress.

Basically, the traditional surgery is disc fusion, which adds stress to the joints above and below and offers a lower quality of life in the later years with a higher chance of requiring another surgery in the later years, while the newer surgery (artifical disk) is better in almost every way.

So says the artifical disk surgeon anyways.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BFLO

serp

Registered User
Jan 17, 2016
20,545
12,391
Freidman had the surgeon on his latest podcast. It's amazing how doctors and surgeons can be world class salesmen as well but I digress.

Basically, the traditional surgery is disc fusion, which adds stress to the joints above and below and offers a lower quality of life in the later years with a higher chance of requiring another surgery in the later years, while the newer surgery (artifical disk) is better in almost every way.

So says the artifical disk surgeon anyways.

Thats great and all and if Eichel believes the surgery will be this great for him he can put the remaining $50m on his contract on the table to prove it.
 

Captain97

Registered User
Jan 31, 2017
7,610
7,175
Toronto, Ontario
Freidman had the surgeon on his latest podcast. It's amazing how doctors and surgeons can be world class salesmen as well but I digress.

Basically, the traditional surgery is disc fusion, which adds stress to the joints above and below and offers a lower quality of life in the later years with a higher chance of requiring another surgery in the later years, while the newer surgery (artifical disk) is better in almost every way.

So says the artifical disk surgeon anyways.

He's not an artificial disk surgeon, he is just a neurosurgeon who has performed a multitude of surgeries in his career including both of the options for Eichel and thinks one is better than the other.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->