Jack Eichel To Miss Start Of Season

The Jack Eichel sweepstakes has gotten even more interesting. According to David Pagnotta, the disgruntled Buffalo Sabres forward has yet to have surgery on the herniated disc in his neck. The recovery time for the surgery would be a few months, so he certainly won't be able to go at the start of the season.

Eichel has been the most talked about trade target all off-season, but a deal has yet to come into fruition. One has to wonder how much this will impact negotiations with other teams moving forward. Although Eichel is a top-of-the-line talent, this neck injury is quite serious.

In 21 games this past season, he scored two goals and had 18 points. He missed a significant portion of the season because of this, but once he is officially healthy, he will continue to be a star in this league. That is the case whether he is back in Buffalo or playing on a new team.

Since being drafted by the Sabres second overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Eichel has scored 139 goals and recorded 355 points in 375 games. With how upset he is with the organization, it seems quite likely that he has played his final game with the team. 

Photo Credit: © Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports