Jack Eichel and the Buffalo Sabres remain at an impasse as the NHL regular season approaches.
The star’s new agent, Pat Brisson of CAA, updated the latest with his client during a Thursday appearance on The Jeff Marek Show.
“It’s an interesting case, it’s a very complicated case,” Brisson said.
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.
Brisson confirmed there are teams in the league willing to allow Eichel to go through with ADR, which will hopefully help facilitate a trade.
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 AAV remaining on his contract, which is equipped with a no-trade clause that kicks in next summer.
Listen to Brisson’s full interview below (skip ahead to the 46:01 mark).
“I'm worried about doing what's right for the Buffalo Sabres,” the team’s GM Kevyn Adams told reporters last month ahead of training camp. “That's why I take the emotion out of it, look at what's best for us moving forward, and if there's something that makes sense, we'll do it.”
Brisson added Eichel’s representation has been in close dialogue with Sabres management and ownership during this process and stressed the importance of doing what’s best for Eichel’s well-being.
