A member of Jack Eichel's medical team says replacing the herniated disc in the Buffalo Sabres star's neck would set him up for a better future.
Dr. Chad Prusmack outlined two pathways available for Eichel on Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman's "31 Thoughts" podcast. The first, which is what the Sabres prefer, is an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) surgery. The procedure Prusmack recommends for the Sabres captain is an artificial disc replacement surgery.
In both procedures, the injured disc is removed through the front of the throat. However, in a fusion surgery, a surgeon will insert a graft, and the bones will fuse over time. In a replacement surgery, meanwhile, the disc is swapped out for an artificial one. Prusmack likens the replacement procedure to getting an artificial knee or hip.
The handling of Eichel's injury has been a major point of contention between the 24-year-old and the Sabres this offseason, with his agents saying in a statement that Buffalo "was in agreement with the artificial disc replacement surgery until that was no longer the case."
Prusmack assures both surgeries are "phenomenal procedures," but getting an artificial disc would suit Eichel's needs moving forward as it allows "better flexibility."
"That guy's slap shot and the way he's got to use his position sense, he's going to lose that if he gets a fusion. When you fuse the spine, it's hard to know where your head is on top of your shoulders," he explained.
"You want to make Jack Eichel as close of an identical twin to what Jack Eichel is after the surgery," Prusmack said, adding, "I think that he would perform better ... let's restore the motion so that he can perform at the elite level he does."
A concern for the Sabres is that no NHL player has ever undergone artificial disc replacement surgery, and it only became available to use in 2000, but Prusmack notes that athletes in other sports such as rugby and MMA have found the procedure to be successful. Hockey players have received the surgery, just not at the pro level.
Prusmack also said the recovery timetable for a replacement surgery is shorter. If Eichel were to receive the fusion surgery, he would be re-evaluated in three months and if that went well, he could be on track to return in six-to-nine months. With a replacement surgery, he could return to the ice within six weeks and engage in contact after eight weeks.
The NHL will investigate San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane after his wife, Anna, made a series of allegations about his gambling on social media.
In three Instagram Stories posted Saturday, Anna accused Evander of throwing games to support his gambling addiction.
There is some very serious accusations being made by Evander Kane’s wife saying that Evander is gambling on his own games #SJSharkspic.twitter.com/D63zufsdI1
— SJ Sharks Coverage (@SJSharksNewsIG) July 31, 2021
"How does the NHL let a compulsive gambling addict still play when he's obviously throwing games with bookies to win money?" she wrote. "Maybe someone needs to address this."
Anna also called NHL commissioner Gary Bettman into question, asking him how the league can "let a player gamble on his own games."
The NHL addressed the situation in a statement, saying it will be taking the allegations "very seriously."
We intend to conduct a full investigation and will have no further comment at this time. (2/2)
"The integrity of our game is paramount," the league wrote. "We intend to conduct a full investigation and will have no further comment at this time."
The Sharks announced they have been in contact with the league about the allegations, according to The Athletic's Kevin Kurz.
"We support a full and transparent investigation into the situation to maintain the integrity of the game and consistency with our team values," the team said.
Evander filed for bankruptcy in January. He reportedly had $26.8 million of debt at the time of his filing and held assets of only $10.2 million.
The Edmonton Oilers signed restricted free agent forward Warren Foegele to a three-year contract with an average annual value of $2.75 million, the team announced Saturday.
The Oilers acquired Foegele from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for defenseman Ethan Bear earlier this week.
Warren Foegele, acquired by EDM, is a good two-way middle six forward whose only real weakness is finishing - despite that, he still scores at a decent rate because he gets high-quality chances. #LetsGoOilerspic.twitter.com/NpVg7TWMaq
The 25-year-old scored 10 goals and added 10 assists over 53 games with the Hurricanes last season. He's appeared in 200 career contests while managing 35 goals and 33 assists.
Have you had a chance to catch your breath? July was a doozy of a month in the NHL.
First came the Seattle expansion draft, next was the annual entry draft, then an epic opening day of free agency that generated more than 150 new contracts cumulatively worth more than $500 million. Oh, and throughout the month there was a steady stream of impact trades.
The offseason isn't done. There's lots to come from the league's 32 general managers ahead of opening night on Oct. 12. But right now, it's as good a time as any to reassess the landscape. So, with a strong emphasis on the 2021-22 season, here's a look at the state of each division following the madness:
Atlantic Division
Scott Audette / Getty Images
Even after a crazy run of player movement, the Atlantic still features well-defined tiers. Let's start at the division's bottom and work our way to the top.
Buffalo's perpetual rebuild continues. They traded Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen and watched Jake McCabe and Linus Ullmark sign elsewhere, and the incoming crop of players is nothing special. The offseason won't be complete until the Jack Eichel situation comes to a resolution, though the Sabres will struggle to compete on a nightly basis regardless of the return.
As for Detroit, the goalie tandem of Alex Nedeljkovic and Thomas Greiss should bail them out of a handful of games. But GM Steve Yzerman clearly isn't actively trying to win, as Pius Suter was the lone notable skater acquired in July. However, despite trade rumors surrounding Tyler Bertuzzi, the club locked him up for two more years.
Ottawa's slightly above the Buffalo-Detroit tier. With so much promise up front, from Brady Tkachuk and Josh Norris to Tim Stutzle, they should take a step forward. Yet contending for a playoff spot remains a dream.
Scott Audette / Getty Images
Then there are the Canadiens, who experienced plenty of turnover while losing Phillip Danault, Tomas Tatar, and a few depth guys. Mike Hoffman, David Savard, Cedric Paquette, Mathieu Perreault, and Chris Wideman are all new to the team. Captain Shea Weber may be dealing with a career-ending injury, which is significant. The Habs are built for the playoffs, but they'll be fighting tooth and nail just to make the postseason.
The Panthers are a sleeping giant. Adding Reinhart is massive, as is locking up Carter Verhaeghe. Aaron Ekblad is healthy again, and Spencer Knight will provide stability in the crease. For the first time in a long time, Florida shouldn't be taken lightly, as the club looks primed to go head to head with the Maple Leafs for the third playoff position. Toronto, meanwhile, has made some good upside bets after letting Zach Hyman walk, bringing in Petr Mrazek, and acquiring Nick Ritchie, Ondrej Kase, David Kampf, and Michael Bunting.
That leaves a top tier of Boston and Tampa Bay, the back-to-back champs.
The cap-strapped Lightning are down Tyler Johnson, Yanni Gourde, Blake Coleman, Barclay Goodrow, and Savard. Yet they scooped up inexpensive veterans Zach Bogosian, Corey Perry, and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. Is the current roster worse on paper than last year's juggernaut? Absolutely. Should they be downgraded to Cup pretenders from contenders? Nope, not with that star-studded core. Going on a deep run is still doable, it'll just be more difficult to pull off with key support players gone.
The Bruins aren't easy to get a handle on right now because David Krejci just left for Europe and Tuukka Rask, who's set to miss a chunk of this coming season, is unsigned. At the end of the day, Boston's elite No. 1 forward line is intact, Taylor Hall's back for his first full season in Boston, the recently signed Ullmark is a smart bet between the pipes, the ever-improving Charlie McAvoy is leading a defense corps that'll continue to include Mike Reilly, and the rest of the lineup is filled with enough depth to push Tampa.
Metropolitan Division
Gregg Forwerck / Getty Images
The Metropolitan has long been a tricky division to project because it's typically home to a bunch of good-but-not-great squads. And what's transpired of late has done little to clear up the convolution.
Let's begin with Carolina, since the Hurricanes have arguably the highest ceiling among the eight Metro teams. "Ceiling" is the operative word here, as the new goalie duo of Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta carries a wide range of outcomes. On the blue line, Dougie Hamilton's departure is a serious stinger, though freshly signed Ian Cole, Ethan Bear, and Tony DeAngelo (we're talking strictly on-ice performance) should help mitigate the loss. Keep in mind that both Andrei Svechnikov and Martin Necas will no doubt level up in 2021-22, and Vincent Trocheck is back to full health.
Pittsburgh's netminding situation is also a giant question mark. Overall, GM Ron Hextall's offseason series of moves - for instance, losing Brandon Tavev through the expansion draft before acquiring Danton Heinen in free agency - are essentially a wash. As currently constructed, the Penguins will once again rely on the trio of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang to dictate their trajectory.
Speaking of aging cores, Washington has experienced even less turnover. Sure, it's fantastic that Alex Ovechkin is back for another five years. But otherwise, the Capitals have added nobody of significance after trading away Brenden Dillon for cap reasons. But it feels premature to judge Washington's offseason with a possible Evgeny Kuznetsov trade still to come.
The Islanders, who saw Jordan Eberle get snatched up in the expansion draft, have been pretty quiet and, according to reports, they will return basically the same roster for 2021-22. It's safe to say the well-structured, disciplined squad will find a way into the playoffs, whether it's a top-three spot or wild card.
Jamie Sabau / Getty Images
From there, the division gets dicey. Philadelphia went nuts in July in an effort to rejig its blue line. Incoming: Ryan Ellis, Keith Yandle, Ristolainen. Outgoing: Shayne Gostisbehere, Philippe Myers, Robert Hagg. Meanwhile, up front, Cam Atkinson is in while Nolan Patrick and Jakub Voracek are out. Between the pipes, Martin Jones is Carter Hart's new backup. If the Flyers improved after all of this wheeling and dealing, which is debatable, the improvement isn't humongous. The Jones signing is curious given his awful recent results and the fact Hart himself had a rough 2020-21 season.
Philadelphia is a wild card. They're on approximately the same level as the middle-of-the-road Rangers with respect to competing this coming season. New York, for what it's worth, has decided to go all-in on toughness, clearly responding to last year's Tom Wilson incident. The Barclay Goodrow signing is the only impactful transaction from a winning games point of view, suggesting the Rangers won't take a huge step in what will be the fourth full season of their rebuild.
Rounding out the Metro are New Jersey and Columbus. Both made sizeable splashes in July, namely the Devils reeling in Hamilton on a long-term deal and the Blue Jackets trading Seth Jones. In the short term, New Jersey's still marinating, with at least one more year to go before a legit playoff push, whereas Columbus is on track to fully bottom out this coming season.
Central Division
RJ Sangosti / Getty Images
The Central's offseason has more or less mirrored what's unfolded across the entire league. A serious contender has been forced to part with key pieces through expansion, free agency, and/or trade; some middle-of-the-pack teams have gained ground on contenders by being aggressive; others have stayed stagnant by being conservative; a lottery team has gotten even worse by selling assets.
Let's first touch on the contender, Colorado. The Avalanche entered July with arguably a top-three roster on paper. The depth chart is now missing defensemen Ryan Graves and Conor Timmins, as well as forwards Joonas Donskoi, Brandon Saad, and Bellemare. In net, the Avs couldn't afford Philipp Grubauer, so Darcy Kuemper is the club's new starter, which is fine. These changes were required in order to re-sign Cale Makar and Gabriel Landeskog, and yet through it all, Colorado remains the toast of the division. Remember, Alex Newhook and Bowen Byram are ready for larger NHL roles.
Chicago is one of the aforementioned aggressors. GM Stan Bowman has practically transformed his roster, adding Seth Jones, Marc-Andre Fleury, Jake McCabe, Tyler Johnson, and Caleb Jones, while subtracting Duncan Keith, Adam Boqvist, Pius Suter, and Nikita Zadorov, among others. Bowman is gambling from a long-term perspective, but the Hawks are undeniably better in the short term. Focusing strictly on 2021-22, Chicago should contend for a playoff spot if Fleury reports. If he doesn't, backups Kevin Lankinen and Collin Delia will be under immense pressure to perform.
Darcy Finley / Getty Images
Meanwhile, Winnipeg pounced on vulnerable teams to acquire Dillon and Nate Schmidt and upgrade its thin defense corps. Those two trades offset losing forward Mason Appleton in the expansion draft. The Jets are far from a perfectly built team. However, heading into August they have a solid blue line to go along with a vaunted top-six forward crew and an all-world goalie. There's absolutely no reason why Winnipeg shouldn't be playoff bound.
St. Louis, Dallas, and Minnesota are three other teams that will be jockeying for positioning in the crowded Central. None of them struck out or struck gold during the July madness. Take St. Louis: they added Saad and Pavel Buchnevich while subtracting Hoffman, Vince Dunn, Jaden Schwartz, Sammy Blais, and Tyler Bozak. Of course, the Blues could still receive a hefty return for the disgruntled Vladimir Tarasenko.
Nashville, on the other hand, finds itself in a predicament. A retool is underway, and it’s obvious GM David Poile has big-money players the rest of the NHL isn’t particularly interested in. For example, instead of expansion bait Ryan Johansen and Matt Duchene leaving town, it's Calle Jarnkork, Viktor Arvidsson, and Ellis. On the ice, things could go south quick for the Predators. The roster is in no man’s land.
Finally, the Coyotes. We're witnessing a masterful tank job here, with the likes of Conor Garland, Bunting, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Alex Goligoski, Jordan Oesterle, Aiden Hill, Kuemper, and Raanta all leaving Arizona recently. In return, the club acquired a few bad contracts and a boatload of draft picks.
Pacific Division
Icon Sportswire / Getty Images
There's an uneasiness about the Pacific, which is why it's the last division listed. There are two teams, Vegas and Anaheim, who could conceivably land Eichel, and Seattle, who by nature will remain dangerous until opening night.
Interestingly, the Golden Knights announced Friday afternoon that forward Alex Tuch is expected to miss six months to recover from shoulder surgery. This development opens up cap space and no contender needs a superstar center like Eichel quite like the notoriously aggressive Golden Knights. So far, aside from trading Fleury, they've been uncharacteristically tame.
As for Anaheim, the Ducks have been linked to Eichel for a while now, and since the team is a rebuilding squad with plenty of cap space, it can wait out any other suitors. The fit doesn't seem to be there for the Kraken, but it would be foolish to completely dismiss the expansion team without a true No. 1 center on its roster.
Christopher Mast / Getty Images
If the season were to start today, Seattle's roster is good enough to secure a playoff berth in the Pacific - the NHL's most top-heavy division. There's a gulf between Vegas and Edmonton and teams like Calgary, Vancouver, and Seattle. Heck, if you account for growth within Los Angeles' excellent prospect pool and if its offseason pickups pay dividends, the club probably deserves to be thrown into the middle class too. It's not a crazy thought.
The Kings acquired one of the best defensive centers in the game with Danault and a winger in dire need of a change of scenery in Arvidsson. Up north in Edmonton, the Oilers added versatility and depth to its forward group by bringing in Hyman, Derek Ryan, and Warren Foegele to help out Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Then again, Edmonton made some curious moves on the back, namely the Keith trade, which may undo some progress.
The Canucks will be in the mix. GM Jim Benning took on Ekman-Larsson's onerous contract but, hey, he's getting a second-pairing defenseman in that trade, as well as Garland, who had been hidden in Arizona for too long. Other moves, like picking up Jason Dickson and Jaroslav Halak, are applaudable. Again, in the short term, Vancouver is better. The future will be awkward.
Past the vast middle class are the Ducks and Sharks. Anaheim re-signed captain Ryan Getzlaf and San Jose signed a few veterans to fair contracts. Realistically, both teams are in a race for the basement. Anaheim has the lead.
The deal is expected to carry an average annual value of $4.75 million, according to The Athletic's Max Bultman.
Bertuzzi has been one of Detroit's most productive forwards over the last few seasons. He was limited to nine games this past year due to injury, but the 26-year-old posted 48 points during the 2019-20 campaign and 47 the previous season.
The Red Wings selected Bertuzzi with the 58th pick in 2013. He's appeared in 208 career games while scoring 54 goals and adding 72 assists.
Ritchie spent last season with the Boston Bruins after the club acquired him from the Anaheim Ducks at the 2020 trade deadline. The 25-year-old scored 15 goals and added 11 assists in 56 games this year.
Both Ritchie and recent Leafs addition winger Ondrej Kase became unrestricted free agents after the Bruins failed to extend qualifying offers to either player earlier this week.
The Ducks selected Ritchie with the 10th overall pick in 2014. He's skated in 350 career games, amassing 59 goals and 78 assists.
NHL Rumor Mill – July 31, 2021 How will the Bruins cope without David Krejci? What’s going on with the Islanders and Oilers? Find out in today’s NHL rumor mill. HOW WILL THE BRUINS REPLACE KREJCI? THE ATHLETIC: In the wake of David Krejci’s decision to finish his playing days in the Czech Republic, Fluto […]
NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 31, 2021 Jack Eichel’s agents issue a statement critical of Sabres management, David Krejci will finish his playing career in the Czech Republic, and surgeries for Alex Tuch and Paul Byron top today’s NHL morning coffee headlines. WGR 550: The agents for Jack Eichel released a statement yesterday expressing […]
Eichel's agents Peter Fish and Peter Donatelli released a statement Friday night in response to general manager Kevyn Adams' comments, in which the executive said he "doesn't feel any pressure" to trade the superstar center.
Eichel's representatives explained their displeasure with the organization for not moving their client nor allowing him to have his preferred method of surgery to treat a herniated disc in his neck.
"The process is not working. As previously stated, we fully anticipated a trade by the start of the NHL free-agency period," the statement reads. "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 procedure was required.
"The recommendation by Jack's independent neurosurgeon, other spine specialists consulted, and the surgery Jack feels most comfortable having in order to correct a herniated disc in his neck is to proceed with artificial disc replacement surgery. A further point of concern is that our camp was initially under the impression that the Sabres specialist was in agreement with the artificial disc replacement surgery until that was no longer the case.
"What is being left out of the discussion is that Jack would be able to play in the NHL for the start of the season pending medical clearance if he were allowed to have the surgery he desires even as of this date. Repeated requests have been made to the Sabres since early June to no avail. This process is stopping Jack from playing in the NHL and it is not working."
Eichel missed the final 33 games of the 2020-21 campaign due to the herniated disc. He discussed his position with the front office in his end-of-season press conference, saying "I’ve been a bit upset about the ways things have been handled" and "there's been a bit of a disconnect (between) the organization and myself."
As stated by his agents, Eichel wants to have the surgery, but the Sabres appear cautious of the idea, possibly since it's a relatively new procedure and hasn't been performed on an NHL player before.
Eichel also added during that presser he wants to get healthy and play next season "wherever that may be."
Adams responded two days later, saying the team will move forward "with the people who want to be here."
Trade rumors have circulated since the exchange, but nothing has come to fruition as of yet.
The 25-year-old will be a restricted free agent after the 2021-22 campaign.
Concussions limited Kase to just three games last season before the Boston Bruins non-tendered him ahead of free agency.
In his last full campaign in 2019-20, Kase tallied 24 points in 55 games. However, he displayed plenty of promise in the two seasons prior with the Anaheim Ducks, averaging 27 goals and 23 assists per 82 contests.
Kase posted strong underlying numbers across his last three healthy seasons, particularly at even strength.
Evolving-Hockey.com
The Czech Republic native, who's primarily played right wing, is looking to revive his career in Toronto. Given the Maple Leafs' lack of forward depth, Kase could conceivably play on one of the team's top two lines with either Auston Matthews or John Tavares.
However, the biggest key surrounding Kase will be his health. He played in two games in January, missed nearly four months, returned for less than seven minutes in May, and hasn't played since.
