Disgruntled star Jack Eichel could be considering filing a grievance through the NHLPA to force a resolution to his stalemate with the Buffalo Sabres.
"I'm not saying it's going to be as quick as the next 24 to 48 hours, but I think we are getting to the point where the grievance could come down to force a kind of move," Sportsnet's Elliott Friedman said during the 32 Thoughts segment on Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday.
"I think that sometime in the next week, two weeks max, the sense I'm getting is if there's not a trade or an agreement between the Sabres and the Eichels on his medical path, I think you're going to see Eichel file a grievance to see if he can move things along."
Eichel has been out with a herniated disk since March and prefers artificial disk replacement (ADR) surgery as a solution, however the team has not approved this type of procedure that has never been performed on a hockey player at the NHL level. Fusion surgery is a more common procedure for herniated discs.
Based on the current Collective Bargaining Agreement, the team has final say on what type of surgery can be approved.
The 24-year-old centre requested a trade earlier in the off-season, however his health status has complicated negotiations.
Eichel has five years and a $10-million average annual value remaining on his contract, which is equipped with a no-trade clause that kicks in next summer.
