The Buffalo Sabres will host their most hated rivals the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday March 15.
Their injured franchise player may be returning to the lineup for the Beware The Ides Of March extravaganza.
Jack Eichel had been out of the Buffalo lineup indefinitely until a Tuesday morning.
Injury update: #Sabres forward Jack Eichel has been diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain and will be out indefinitely. pic.twitter.com/afSU7sbof7
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) February 11, 2018
Eichel missed the first 21 games of the 2016-17 season due to a high ankle sprain in his left ankle. This season, he injured his right ankle when his former BU Terriers teammate and current Boston Bruins D-man Matt Grzelcyk wiped out Eichel on February 10.
Hope Eichel is okay, this didn’t look good pic.twitter.com/sTkAmK7pnb
— Marina Molnar (@mkmolnar) February 11, 2018
Eichel skated and practiced Tuesday for the first time since mid-February. Eichel led his Sabres mates in the team stretch and then skated between Jason Pominville and Zemgus Girgensons.
Let’s just see how Eichel’s injured ankle responds to the hockey movements he made with it in Tuesday. Maybe it’s healed. Maybe it’s not. Let’s just see what tomorrow brings.
Baby steps for now.
Before his high ankle sprain injury, Eichel skated in 55 games this season. He still leads the Sabres in goals (22), assists (31) and points (53).
Last October, Eichel signed an lucrative eight-year, $80-million contract extension, which will activate in 2018-19.
Eichel is second only to Connor McDavid in total points manufactured among players from the 2015 NHL Draft class. Eichel has 166 points in 197 career games played.