I couldn’t imagine the relief that came yesterday for Jack Eichel and the Buffalo Sabres.
Eichel was clearly done with being a Sabre and the Sabres were done with Jack Eichel.
The bigger issue was the fact the Sabres were holding Eichel from getting a surgery to fix his neck. The dispute likely means Eichel won’t be able to play for his country in the Olympics and will miss most if not all of this NHL season.
If the Sabres would have allowed Eichel to get the surgery months ago that the Vegas Golden Knights are now willing to allow, Eichel may be on the ice already.
The tactics were petty, disrespectful and unprofessional. I’m way more on Eichel’s side than I am on the side of the Buffalo Sabres.
But now, life can go on for Eichel and the Sabres, who now have to sell to their fans that another three- or five-year rebuild is underway.
The Golden Knights, if the timing works out, will get a heck of a centreman for a Stanley Cup run.
As much as Eichel’s contract will put the Golden Knights in cap hell for the 2022-23 season, that’s a next-year problem for Vegas. Now, it’s about winning a Cup.