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Welcome to rock bottom, Buffalo.
Jack Eichel has a high ankle sprain. He will be out indefinitely.
Eichel Out Indefinitely https://t.co/cP2c54clUJ pic.twitter.com/sSx9G79yFe
— SabresBuzz (@SabresBuzz) February 11, 2018
Eichel did not return to the ice Saturday night after leaving at the game at 6:52 of the first after he was knocked off balance by a can-opener check by a Boston Bruin defenseman. There was no penalty on the play. Eichel skated only 3:55 TOI before suffering the injury.
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 is Buffalo's scoring leader with 21 goals and 31 assists in 55 games played.
Last season, Eichel missed the first 21 games of the 2016-17 season due to a high ankle sprain in his left ankle. This season, its a right ankle sprain.
Sound the horn. Let the sell-off of expiring contracts begin.
Boston Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk is now public enemy number one on Buffalo.
Hope Eichel is okay, this didn’t look good pic.twitter.com/sTkAmK7pnb
— Marina Molnar (@mkmolnar) February 11, 2018
It was a scuzzy stick play by Grzelcyk that ended Eichel's game and possibly the rest of his season in Boston on Saturday night.
Eichel's former Boston University teammate Matt Grzelcyk accidentally on purpose used his stick to apply pressure to Eichel's left skate, thus causing Eichel to crumple to the ice, his full boy weight atop his right ankle. Eichel's knee was also a concern. Eichel had an MRI done in Buffalo on Sunday morning to definitively diagnose his injury.
Was there intent to injure? No. The intent was to knock the stronger, more skilled Eichel off the puck. Grzelcyk knew what he was doing. He succeeded at eliminating Eichel from the play. The hit wasn't an accident nor was it incidental contact. It was the type of tactic that NHL defenseman young and old use to neutralize high-end skill players while they are in attack mode in the offensive zone. It's a scuzzy, dangerous play. I've seen mens league players throw hands after such a hit. It's greasy. It's punk and there is no place for that type of crap in today's game. Just once, I'd love to see the wimpy Instigator Rule scrapped so that the offending player has to pay a physical toll for crossing the line. There is no accountability for Grzelcyk in the Eichel encounter. None whatsoever.
Why didn't the Sabres didn't drill Grzelcyk into the ice? I have no idea. Grzelcyk would later hard foul forward Samson Reinhart causing the Sabres forward to face-plant into the end wall in the Boston zone. Reinhart left the game for a few minutes, then returned to play. In both incidents Grzelcyk skated away scott free. No penalties were assessed. No Sabres jumped the rookie to voice their dispeasure with the hits on Eichel and Reinhart.
Eichel played just 3:55 TOI of the first period before he was forced to leave the game with the right ankle injury.
When Eichel did not accompany the team from the room to their bench to begin period two in Boston, the Sabres declared Eichel out of the game for the rest of the night.
Injury update: Jack Eichel will not return tonight.
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) February 11, 2018
Just when it seemed an impossible task, the miserable 2017-18 season hasn't gotten worse for the Buffalo Sabres.
Eichel has been the lone glimmer of sunshine in an otherwise black season. Eichel is Buffalo's scoring leader with 21 goals and 31 assists in 55 games played.
Eichel's injury comes at a time when he has been playing sustained elite level hockey for the past two months.
Eichel has totaled 34 points 15 goals and 19 assists in 30 games since the beginning of December.
During that stretch, Eichel ranked in the top 10 in the NHL in goals (T-7th, 15), points (T-5th, 34), even-strength goals (T-4th, 12) and shots (3rd, 120).
Eichel scored at least two goals in four of those 30 games.
Eichel is currently on pace to surpass his personal bests in goals (24), assists (33) and points (57) on the strength of improved production at even strength (T-10th in NHL in ES goals, T-10th in ES points).
Eichel’s 16 multi-point games this season through 55 games have already tied his career best set in 2016-17.
With his 17th even-strength goal in his 44th game of the season on January 11 vs. Columbus, Eichel surpassed his career-best total from 2015-16 (81 games). Through 55 games, Eichel now has 19 even-strength goals.
With his 36th even-strength point in his 53rd game of the season on February 7 vs. Anaheim, Eichel surpassed his career-best total from 2015-16 (81 games). Through 55 games, he now has 38 even-strength points.
Of Jack Eichel’s 53 points so far this season, 24 have been goals or primary assists recorded during 5-on-5 play (excludes 6-on-5 situations).
Through 55 games, Eichel’s 24 primary points (13G,11A) during 5-on-5 play have already surpassed his 61-game total from last season (11G,10A) and tied his career-best total from his 81-game rookie season (12G,12A).
Eichel sat out the first eight weeks of the 2016-17 season with a high ankle sprain in his left leg.
The NHL Draft Lottery cannot get here soon enough for Sabres fans. Visions of Rasmus Dahlin, Brady Tkachuk and Andrei Svechnikov are dancing in heads of Sabres faithful.
There is no game day skate for Sabres today.
Phil Houlsey will address Eichel’s injury status when he meets with media at 4:30pm on Sunday ahead of Sabres-Avs.