NHL Pacific

Jack Eichel is on the move to the Vegas Golden Knights, but he won't see the ice for several months because of surgery on his herniated disk.

Per TSN's Darren Dreger, Eichel is expected to have disk replacement surgery "very soon," with the hope being that he can return to the ice in four months.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported early Thursday morning that the Buffalo Sabres were trading Eichel to the Golden Knights.

According to Dreger, the full deal, pending the trade call with the NHL, is Eichel and a 2023 third-round draft pick to Vegas for Peyton Krebs, Alex Tuch, a 2022 first-round pick and a 2023 third-rounder.

Eichel and the Sabres have been at odds for several months about the type of surgical procedure he should undergo.

Dr. Chad J. Prusmack, Eichel's personal doctor, told Sportsnet's 31 Thoughts podcast in July that artificial disk replacement surgery was best way to proceed for the forward's short- and long-term health.

Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News noted that type of procedure has never been done on an NHL player and that the Sabres were pushing for the more common anterior cervical discectomy with fusion surgery.

Friedman reported in October that Eichel was considering filing a grievance through the NHL Players' Association in an attempt to force a resolution to the situation.

Eichel’s agents, Peter Fish and Peter Donatelli, issued a statement over the summer announcing that Eichel had formally requested a trade out of Buffalo.

"As previously stated, we fully anticipated a trade by the start of the NHL free-agency period,” the statement read. "After the agreed-upon and prescribed period for conservative rehabilitation lapsed in early June 2021, it was determined by the Sabres medical staff that a surgical process was required."

Around the same time, Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams told reporters the team didn't "feel any pressure" to make a trade just for the sake of it.

Eichel has spent his entire career with the Sabres since being drafted No. 2 overall in 2015. The 25-year-old still has five years, including the 2021-22 season, remaining on his eight-year, $80 million contract.

Because of the herniated disk, Eichel only played in 21 games last season. He has 355 points in 375 NHL games over six seasons.

A four-month recovery period would put Eichel on track to return in March. The regular season is scheduled to conclude April 29.   

The Buffalo Sabres officially completed a blockbuster trade Thursday to send star center Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights for a package headlined by winger Alex Tuch, prospect Peyton Krebs and a first-round pick in the 2022 NHL draft.

TSN's Darren Dreger initially reported details of the deal:

Eichel will undergo his preferred artificial disk replacement surgery in the near future and his new team is "hopeful" he'll be back on the ice in four months, per Dreger.

Tuch is also on injured reserve after offseason shoulder surgery.

Eichel became the face of the franchise when the Sabres selected him with the second overall pick of the 2015 NHL draft.

His arrival marked the expected end of Buffalo's race to the bottom of the standings, a two-year journey to win the "McEichel sweepstakes"—the nickname given to the not-so-secret widespread tanking in an effort to land either Eichel or Connor McDavid, who were viewed as generational prospects.

The 25-year-old Boston University product lived up to his end of the bargain. He recorded 355 points (139 goals and 216 assists) in 375 games across six seasons in Buffalo, establishing himself as one of the NHL's most dynamic offensive weapons with high-end speed, great vision and a lethal shot.

Yet despite multiple coaching changes and a variety of roster moves made by a few general managers, the Sabres were never able to find the right lineup mix around the Massachusetts native, who'd also expressed frustration about how the front office handled his season-ending neck injury.

"I've been a bit upset about the ways things have been handled since I've been hurt," Eichel said. "I'd be lying to say that things have moved smoothly since my injury. There's been a bit of a disconnect between myself and the organization. It's been tough at times. Right now, for me, the most important thing is just trying to get healthy, figure out a way to be available to play hockey next year, wherever that might be."

His captaincy was stripped by the franchise at the start of training camp amid continued disagreement about the treatment of his injury and the ongoing trade speculation.

The problems were relatively consistent throughout the Eichel era in Buffalo: The Sabres couldn't generate enough offense from their bottom six, the defense struggled to make an impact outside of an occasional moment of brilliance from 2018 first overall pick Rasmus Dahlin, and the goaltending was typically subpar.

So while marquee names like Ryan O'Reilly, Evander Kane and, most recently, Taylor Hall created hope of a turnaround upon their arrivals, the results never changed. The Sabres completed their 10th straight season without qualifying for the playoffs in 2021, the league's longest active streak by five years.

A debate can be had about whether the losing culture that was created during Buffalo's pursuit of Eichel or McDavid was harder to escape than expected once the tanking was over. It's a viable theory given how the Sabres have crumbled at the first sight of adversity in recent years.

The bigger question is where the organization goes from here. A true No. 1 center is much like a franchise quarterback in the NFL—the most important building block to success. Trading Eichel leaves a massive void that won't be easy to fill, and it comes on the heels of Sam Reinhart's trade to the Florida Panthers in the offseason.

Perhaps Dylan Cozens, who showcased plenty of upside throughout his rookie season, can take on the role, or maybe the financial flexibility created by moving Eichel, who's under contract through 2026 as part of an eight-year, $80 million deal, can help the team find one via free agency or another trade.

There are no easy answers, however, and eight years after former Sabres general manager Darcy Regier warned their rebuilding efforts "may require some suffering," there's still no end in sight.

Meanwhile, Eichel will have an opportunity to begin a new chapter of his career with the Golden Knights. The most important thing for the 6'2" playmaker probably won't be his individual numbers, which are always strong, but instead finding far more team success than he did in Buffalo.

Once he recovers from the neck injury, he should slot in as the top-line center alongside wingers Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty in Vegas.

The Calgary Flames reportedly have a trade offer on the table for Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel.

Kevin Weekes of ESPN, NHL Network and TSN reported the rumor Wednesday.

The Flames' deal would center around 23-year-old left wing Matthew Tkachuk, who has four goals and two assists in nine games this year.

He has 114 goals and 170 assists in 358 lifetime games over six seasons with the Flames, who selected Tkachuk sixth overall in the 2016 NHL draft.

On Tuesday evening, ESPN's Emily Kaplan reported that the Flames and Vegas Golden Knights were the two finalists in the Eichel sweepstakes.

Kaplan also said that both teams were OK with Eichel going forth with his desire to have artificial disk replacement surgery in his neck, which has been a sticking point between him and the Sabres.

While Vegas and Calgary are reportedly the front-runners in the Eichel sweepstakes, Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic reported the St. Louis Blues are interested as well:

John Vogl of The Athletic also reported news that would seem to precipitate a move:

The Flames would appear to be in the lead for Eichel given that monster trade offer, although Vegas could come over the top. As Lyle Richardson of the Hockey News wrote, the Golden Knights have a need for a top-line center, and Eichel could be a fit there.

For now, Eichel remains a Sabre, although it doesn't appear that will be the case much longer.

Whichever team lands Eichel will get a player who has amassed 139 goals and 216 assists in 375 NHL games since 2015.

The Calgary Flames and Vegas Golden Knights are reportedly the finalists in pursuit of a trade for Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel.

ESPN's Emily Kaplan reported the update Tuesday night and noted the talks are at the "1-yard line":

Eichel and the Sabres have been engaged in an extended standoff about what type of surgery he should receive to overcome a neck injury suffered last season.

The 25-year-old former Boston University standout has pushed for an artificial disk replacement his camp believes will give him a better quality of life moving forward, while the organization prefers a traditional disk fusion since the artificial disk surgery hasn't been performed on an active NHL player.

Based on the league's collective bargaining agreement, the team gets the final call on medical procedures, so Eichel has remained sidelined waiting for a possible trade.

Kaplan said both the Flames and Golden Knights are willing to allow Eichel to get the artificial disk replacement, which would come with a "minimum" of three months recovery time before he'd be cleared to play.

The timeline is important because the second overall pick in the 2015 draft would be a lock for Team USA at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing if healthy. The Americans' first game is set for Feb. 10 against the host nation of China, and the tournament runs through Feb. 20.

It seems unlikely the team that ultimately acquires Eichel would want his first action to come in the Olympics after being out since March, though.

Even if a trade isn't finalized in the next few days, it's hard to imagine a scenario where the dynamic center plays again for the Sabres given the longstanding dispute about the neck procedure and the team's overall lack of success since it drafted him.

Eichel, who's under contract through 2025-26 as part of his eight-year, $80 million deal, has done his part, scoring 355 points (139 goals and 216 assists) in 375 games for the Sabres. Alas, the franchise hasn't been able to put enough talent around him over the past six years to climb up the standings.

While the sides are almost definitely about to head their separate ways, there's still pressure on Buffalo general manager Kevyn Adams to deliver a sizable return package for the three-time All-Star to help jump-start the latest rebuilding effort after several failed attempts over the past decade.

Once healthy, Eichel would immediately take over as the No. 1 center in either Calgary or Vegas, and with more talent around him, it wouldn't be a surprise to see him rank among the scoring leaders next season when he has a chance to play a full schedule.

Vancouver Canucks center Bo Horvat, who is also the team's player representative to the NHLPA, called out the organization for its handling of professional hockey player Kyle Beach's sexual assault allegations against ex-Chicago Blackhawks video coach Brad Aldrich.

Iain MacIntyre of Sportsnet provided Horvat's comments:

Beach specifically called out NHLPA executive director Donald Fehr in an interview with  TSN's Rick Westhead:

"I know I reported every single detail to an individual at the NHLPA, who I was put in contact with after," Beach said, per ESPN's Emily Kaplan.

"I believe two different people talked to Don Fehr. And for him to turn his back on the players when his one job is to protect the players at all costs, I don't know how that can be your leader. I don't know how he can be in charge."

Fehr has since recommended that the NHLPA hire an outside law firm to conduct an independent investigation into how the organization handled Beach's allegations, per Kaplan.

Beach's agent, Ross Gurney, said he placed a call to the NHLPA regarding Aldrich, who resigned from his position with the Blackhawks before working for USA Hockey at the 2011 Women's Under-18 World Championships.

“My purpose in calling the PA was to get a warning to USA Hockey,” Gurney said, per Westhead. “That is what I was directed to do by Kyle.”

Beach said that he spoke with Dr. Brian Shaw, a psychologist and program administrator with the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program, but that nothing was done.

“Dr. Shaw told me [during a phone call] he would handle it and make sure that Team USA was aware that Brad Aldrich is a sexual predator,” Beach told TSN on Wednesday. "After that one conversation, the NHLPA cut me loose. I never heard from them again.”

Shaw declined to comment on the matter when TSN reached out.

"I want to be clear about memory bias and I have feelings of wanting to be fair and supportive of Kyle," Shaw said. "I'm not going to say anything else."

Following the forward's interview with TSN, Fehr released a statement in support of Beach while acknowledging the failures of the NHLPA to provide assistance:

Kyle Beach has been through a horrific experience and has shown true courage in telling his story. There is no doubt that the system failed to support him in his time of need, and we are part of that system.

In his media interview, Mr. Beach stated that several months after the incident he told someone at the NHLPA the details of what happened to him. He is referring to one of the program doctors with the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. While this program is confidential between players and the doctors, the grave nature of this incident should have resulted in further action on our part. The fact that it did not was a serious failure. I am truly sorry, and I am committed to making changes to ensure it does not happen again.

Chicago selected Beach 11th overall in the 2008 NHL draft. He's been a professional hockey player since 2009, when he first suited up for the AHL's Rockford IceHogs. Beach currently plays for Black Dragons Erfurt in the Oberliga in Germany.

The Vegas Golden Knights might be ramping up their pursuit of Jack Eichel. 

Vegas is considered a "team to watch" for the disgruntled Buffalo Sabres forward, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reported Tuesday (h/t David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal).

The Golden Knights have been linked to Eichel since the star forward made it clear he wanted out of Buffalo because of the Sabres' unwillingness to allow him to get the artificial disc replacement surgery he desires instead of neck fusion surgery for the herniated disc in his neck.

However, the Golden Knights reportedly aren't willing to meet the Sabres' asking price for Eichel. Buffalo wants 2019 first-round pick Peyton Krebs in any deal, according to NHL insiders Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek (h/t the Las Vegas Review-Journal).

The Golden Knights expect Krebs to be a difference-maker. Head coach Pete DeBoer said after the 20-year-old's NHL debut that he has "a good reputation in the organization."

Buffalo will likely look for a center in return for Eichel, so if Krebs is unavailable, someone like Nolan Patrick or Jake Leschyshyn might head the other way in a trade that will undoubtedly include draft picks.

In September, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman (via The Daily Goal Horn) reported that a number of other Western Conference teams were interested in Eichel, including the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings and Minnesota Wild.

ESPN's Emily Kaplan added earlier this month on The Point that five teams remain in on Eichel. All of those teams agreed the former Sabres captain would get the artificial disk replacement surgery he wants. 

If Eichel is traded this season, it's unlikely he plays because he needs to undergo neck surgery. However, he could be ready for the 2022-23 campaign, depending on when he is moved and how long his recovery takes.

Eichel, who was drafted second overall by the Sabres in 2015, has tallied 355 points (139 goals, 216 assists) in 375 games. He signed an eight-year, $80 million contract extension with Buffalo before the 2017-18 season.  

Wayne Gretzky is the greatest hockey player of all time. Now, the Hall of Famer is facing a new challenge in the booth.

Gretzky signed on as a studio analyst for Turner Sports and already made quite the impression when he challenged Charles Barkley to a shootout. He joined B/R for an AMA session to discuss TNT's NHL coverage and to weigh in on a variety of other topics.

The following is the full transcript from the session.

@BR_OpenIce What’s been most surprising about your first two weeks on TNT? Tired of Biz yet?

Love Bis. I think Bis is something really special. I think people can really relate to him. He wasn’t a star. He worked really hard in his role. He’s turned himself into a cult following. He’s very intelligent and knows how hard it is to work in the NHL, so he’s been an absolute joy to work with. It was a really nice fit for him to join me. As time goes on, we’ll get more comfortable. I like the fact we don’t get too in depth because we know how hard it is to make the league. The surprise was how much fun I’ve had. 

@Dlanor How did you lose in a fight to a guy with a perm? 

I had a perm too - so two guys. The fight was actually really silly. It’s something he and I can laugh about. If you’re gonna rate fights, it was probably rated the worst fight in the history of the NHL.

@CJShoe What was your welcome to the NHL moment? 

There’s so many great moments. My first game was in Chicago stadium. My dad was at the game. My dad loved Stan Mikita. One of my first faceoffs was against him and my dad was so happy to see me going against his guy. That was probably one of my favorite moments when I first joined the league.

@Leeds1991 What’s the best advice your dad gave you as a young hockey player?

He gave me this about hockey and about life: failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Not just in hockey, but in life. It was a simple quote but I always remembered it.

@BK1010 How hard was it to convince Edmonton to trade McSorley with you to L.A.? 

Glen Sather was one of the smartest GMs ever. He knew the importance of Marty and what he would mean to L.A. Marty fought his way through hard work to make himself a hockey player. People love the finesse stars like Crosby or Ovi, but Marty is a great role model because he wasn’t an 18-year-old destined to make the league. He was always the last guy to leave the ice. He was an incredibly hard worker and he’s proof that with hard work you can make it.

B/R COLLECTIVE QUESTION: Best chirp you’ve ever heard? 

You had to check your feelings in the locker room. If you’re not chirping at other guys, they usually don’t chirp your way. I was relatively quiet, but all in all I didn’t receive a lot of chirping because I was a sleeping dog. It’s the guys that do the barking that tend to hear more than other guys.

@LiquidC Would you be genuinely happy to see Ovi break your scoring record? Do you ever get tired of people asking you about it? 

These next two years are big because he’s still a little bit younger. He’s off to a phenomenal start. There’s not one player who is bigger than the game itself. It’s only positive. If Alex does break the record. I’ll hopefully be one of the first guys to shake his hand. I think it’s great for our sport. I’m proud of what I accomplished. I did everything I could do. If he breaks the record, good for him.

@Just_in_Time With Vegas and now Seattle in the fold, which city deserves the next NHL expansion team and why? 

I haven’t thought about it a whole lot, but just looking at it from a practical point of view, the three that I would say: I think Kansas City because the Chiefs and Royals do so well. I think the city of Houston because the Stars have helped grow hockey down there. The third one that’s most obvious is Quebec City. There is nothing like hockey in the province of Quebec. I have no knowledge of this, but those are the ones I’m interested in.

Rapid Fire: 

@LiamHolmes30: Your favorite city? 

The city that I loved the most without question when it came to leaving Edmonton or L.A. without question was Toronto. I grew up idolizing the arena, the atmosphere, the fans in Toronto, how the game is respected in that city. I went to high school there for two years, so I would say without question Toronto.

@GrumpyMuffin: You get to build a PP unit consisting of only guys you played with during your career. Who you putting out there?

The obvious ones for me would be Mark Messier, Mario Lemieux, Mike Bossy, Paul Coffey and Larry Robinson. You can probably name another 5 because guys like Luc Robitaille, guys like Jari Kurri, they’re hall of farmers, how could you not include them. I played with all those guys in the NHL or Team Canada. Our powerplay would be pretty solid with those 5 guys on it.

@IcetoMeetYou37 The goalie that gave you the most trouble was ____

Without a question, Eddie Belfour. I think I only scored one goal on him. During pressure moments, he was one of the great pressure goaltenders of all time.

The NHL suspended San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane for 21 games because he violated its COVID-19 protocols.

The league also said it was unable to substantiate domestic abuse allegations levied against Kane by his estranged wife, Deanna.

The NHL Players Association shared a statement from Kane:

I would like to apologize to my teammates, the San Jose Sharks organization, and all Sharks fans for violating the NHL COVID protocols. I made a mistake, one I sincerely regret and take responsibility for. During my suspension, I will continue to participate in counseling to help me make better decisions in the future. When my suspension is over, I plan to return to the ice with great effort, determination, and love for the game of hockey.

Because of his suspension, Kane won't be eligible to play until Nov. 30, when the Sharks play the New Jersey Devils. San Jose opened its account Saturday with a 4-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets.

Over the summer, NHL conducted an investigation into Kane and cleared him of any wrongdoing after his wife said he had placed bets on Sharks games and intentionally threw games.

However, Front Office Sports' A.J. Perez reported Oct. 5 the 30-year-old was the subject of another inquiry in connection to the NHL's health and safety protocols. According to Perez, the league was looking into whether he submitted a fake vaccination card.

While players aren't required to get the COVID-19 vaccine, those who are unvaccinated are subject to tighter restrictions. Most notably, personnel aren't exempted from Canada's travel and quarantine guidelines.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said last week that only four players haven't been vaccinated.

Kane is in the fourth year of his seven-year, $49 million contract with the franchise. The Associated Press' Josh Dubow noted he'll have to forfeit around $1.7 million because of his unpaid suspension.

Welcome to the history books, Ryan Donato.

The center scored the first goal in Seattle Kraken history when he cleaned up a rebound in front of the net and scored during the second period of Tuesday's game against the Vegas Golden Knights:

Joonas Donskoi and Vince Dunn were credited with assists on the play.

It was a much-needed goal for the visitors, who quickly fell behind 3-0 in their inaugural game. It swung the momentum, and Jared McCann scored the team's second goal less than two minutes later to further cut into Vegas' lead.

Donato has played for the Boston Bruins, Minnesota Wild and San Jose Sharks in his career. He finished the 2020-21 season with 20 points on six goals and 14 assists for the Sharks.