K-9

Sabres with the top two rookie scorers in the AHL. Nice.

Right, so then teams reportedly interested really don’t have faith that Eichel will return to the player he was. If they really did, then they’d be willing to pay the price for a heathy Eichel. And by extension of that logic, neither do Brisson and Co., otherwise they’d do a better selling job of their player instead of saying the Sabres need to settle for less as has been reported. It just doesn’t add up to me.

And Peterka with another apple. Nice to see some early chemistry between two guys we hope to see in the show for a long time.

I think so, too. Which is why I see an inconsistency in their reasoning. If Eichel were already at 100% they’d pay the price. They are willing to go all in on the $50m risk currently because their assumption is he will be back at 100% and we’ve established that Eichel at 100% is worth the trade price in the first place.

If Eichel was at 100% good health, would they be willing to risk those pieces?

My view has always been a return to health and a demonstration of full recovery in order to maximize trade value. So yeah, I’m fine with waiting. Especially because there is no rush. Back to my question: if a team is willing to go all in on the risk, presumably because they believe in a full recovery and return to form (why else would they assume that risk?), then why wouldn’t they go all in to acquire him in the first place?

Can’t speak to the specific level of differences, but different insurance companies have different policies with different costs for different levels of coverage. It would be nice to find out the specifics. That said, if teams are willing to go all in on the risk, then they should be willing to go all in to acquire him. They either believe in a full recovery and return to being an elite player or they don’t.

Because the Sabres aren’t indemnified against Jack not playing if something goes wrong with a non-approved surgery perhaps?

Maybe Wolanin

Agree entirely; it’s a perfectly reasonable position for Jack to take. But Eichel’s reasonable position does not make the Sabres’ position unreasonable.

Or his 4th artificial disc replacement. Then again, after the first failure, I’m sure he’d settle for the more stable fusion surgery.

Agree entirely it is very complex. But the idea that Eichel’s healthcare is being “held hostage” by the Sabres is absurd. He has a choices, difficult though they may be. And If Eichel is being held hostage by the situation, then so are the Sabres.

Is Letang having flexibility issues? Doesn’t seem like it to me. But every case, every patient, every outcome is unique so comparables are difficult to quantify.

Sympathy is fine. Indeed, it’s required. I suspect everyone involved, including and maybe even especially the Sabres, have sympathy for Eichel’s situation. There are only losers in that regard. Just don’t try to tell me that Eichel doesn’t have a choice. It may be a most difficult choice, but he is free to make it any time he wishes. This “held hostage” view is over top rhetoric aimed at the need to make the Sabres the “bad guy” when there simply aren’t any. It’s absurd.

The perception by some that the owners are holding a player’s health hostage is as short-sighted as it gets with absolutely no regard for the complexity of the situation. Given that lack of ability to understand complexity, I’ll simplify it for those who hold the view that the owners are holding Eichel’s health hostage: Jack Eichel is free to get whatever treatment from whatever doctor for whatever ails him and that has always been the case. Full stop.

What do you mean, “not exact?” If the insurance company won’t cover it, they won’t cover it, just as many other insurance companies don’t cover cervical ADR, either. That’s as exact as it gets imo. As you point out, Eichel can get his preferred surgery any time he likes but I’m not sure he’s willing to suffer the legal ramifications to do so or else he would have done it a while ago.

Massachusetts wimps

I read in this forum that the insurance company will not cover the ADR. Sounds like they need even more convincing than the Sabres.

That was not a good look for him, especially in his role as team captain. I’ll cut him a little slack given the Covid situation, but only a little.

Also not out of the realm of possibility. Certainly in the area of unlikely though. It’s my understanding that given past prognoses, if significant re-absorption of the disc hasn’t occurred after that initial 12 week time frame, then surgery likely has to happen to fix it. But again, stranger things have happened. It would be a great outcome for sure.

Stranger things have certainly happened. And I give you credit for the unbridled optimism. But…

Well, ice hockey in the Olympics starts on February 9. If Eichel had the surgery RIGHT NOW, he’d be ready to resume playing on January 21, presumably. That leaves him 19 days before the Olympic competition starts. That’s the tightest of windows at this moment and it gets tighter each passing day. It would be nothing short of miraculous if he did that.

Spice up that tryout maybe?

Do you honestly feel Eichel wants to play here and prefers that to being “jettisoned?” Of all the ways to describe trading a player, “jettisoned” is the most emotional I’ve seen.

Maybe, but when I ask myself if I’d go by that, I say no given the nature of the injury and lack of history regarding outcomes for NHL players.