Injury Report: Eichel suffers high ankle sprain in Oct 12th practice; out 6-8 weeks

[TIGERCOOL]

Bummed for Buffalo and for Eichel. What a **** injury. It could have been worse though. He's a beast and I expect him back in a month. You guys will have forgotten all about this by Christmas.

 

[bobbydigital]

Terrible news, looked pretty bad too. Hopefully not a break.

 

[joshjull]

It's pretty great that we're replacing a 44% GF player with someone who was 50% or better last season.

I'm assuming you mean Girgs because he's the only forward that was over 50% GF last season. I wouldn't describe Girgs replacing Eichel as "great". I'm also not too sure he would be replacing him.

Our ceiling is lower, but the injury also raises our floor and gives us three very strong defensive centers in the top 9. It also might force a more offensive role for Risto.

How do you equate this injury with our floor getting higher? Though I do see the plus in our centers being strong defensively to ride out this situation. I'm also not sure yet who the top 3 centers will be.

 

[gallagt01]

Does this suck? Absolutely. But Murray assembled a deep core of high-end centers over the past couple of years for a reason.

Hopefully Reinhart moves to the middle seamlessly.

 

[stokes84]

It's pretty great that we're replacing a 44% GF player with someone who was 50% or better last season.

Our ceiling is lower, but the injury also raises our floor and gives us three very strong defensive centers in the top 9. It also might force a more offensive role for Risto.

This post is one for the books. An all timer, even by HF standards.

"Hey guys, you know what would be great? Less Eichel and more Girgensons! Yeah!"

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

Nah. But it could very well affect him for most of this season, even once he's back.

It's entirely possible that we don't see the "real Jack" again until October 2017.

This is what I'm thinking about. Sure, he could be back in the line-up by December, but it's doubtful he'll be all pain free and 100%...not like he was up until this morning. That doesn't mean he and the team can't be in decent shape for an April push, but they really will need to stay relatively healthy for a while to get over this. Injuries were such a problem last season that (remind me if I'm wrong) the team fired their strength and development coaches.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

Sucks ... Sure. But who was actually banking on Eichel being the end all be all to a horrible vs. great season for the team?

I know I wasn't.

Ledge jumpers from the first two pages made me laugh.

Hope he comes back later and fully healed instead of early and being a season long issue.

I was trying real hard for the comic relief angle.

 

[DJN21]

Can't believe we will be without all three guys to start the year...buffaluck

 

[ihadtochangethename]

Well damn! Terrible news to come home to

 

[sabremike]

Considering how horrific the video looked this is a best case scenario.

 

[Zman5778]

It's pretty great that we're replacing a 44% GF player with someone who was 50% or better last season.

Our ceiling is lower, but the injury also raises our floor and gives us three very strong defensive centers in the top 9. It also might force a more offensive role for Risto.

You know you've gone off the analytics deep end when losing Eichel is "pretty great"

 

[OttawaRoughRiderFan*]

This is what I'm thinking about. Sure, he could be back in the line-up by December, but it's doubtful he'll be all pain free and 100%...not like he was up until this morning.

As I said in another thread, he will be pain free after 4 weeks - that will not be the issue. The problem is : A Severe High Sprain will leave the Ankle feeling weak for a long time. It will feel like it is going to "give". It will feel like it can not be "trusted". Therefore, many people who have this injury cannot go 100% long after the pain is gone.

Depending on the severity, a break would have been better because after it heals, you don't have the lingering weakness.

 

[struckbyaparkedcar]

In English please

Eichel's line was high variance and bad. He will be replaced by someone low variance and neutral.

 

[Havok89]

Just bought my tickets for BUF at CGY too. One chance per year to see Eichel live. Bummer.

 

[Der Jaeger]

This is where our depth at center should, at minimum, be able to hold things together until Eichel returns. A lot will hinge on how Disco reacts to this and what adjustments he makes.

Agree. One of the sub-objectives of the tank was to transition skill and depth at wing to center. Now we'll see how that worked out.

 

[OscarsCards]

Mother pucking sheep...

 

[BowieSabresFan]

Eichel's line was high variance and bad. He will be replaced by someone low variance and neutral.

Reading your last post and this one makes me admit to a bit of confusion here. Are you suggesting that Eichel's absence might make the team better?

 

[SabresFan26]

Just saw this as I left work. Hoping he has a speedy recovery and it's closer to four weeks instead of six. High ankle sprains take a while to heal and linger. Get well Jack. Next guy on the depth chart has to step up with him out.

 

[Sabre Dance]

Reading your last post and this one makes me admit to a bit of confusion here. Are you suggesting that Eichel's absence might make the team better?

I think without Eichel they are still better than last year's team. Obviously Eichel makes the team even better.

 

[FamilyGuy716]

Eichel's line was high variance and bad. He will be replaced by someone low variance and neutral.

WTF, Eichel was never going to get better than his rookie year? You try my patience on a regular basis.

 

[old kummelweck]

Disappointed? Sure. But at the same time, lets see what they can do with the talent they have.

This is my thought.

 

[BowieSabresFan]

I think without Eichel they are still better than last year's team. Obviously Eichel makes the team even better.

Oh, I agree completely. I just don't think that's what he is trying to say.

 

[Dreakon13]

Reading your last post and this one makes me admit to a bit of confusion here. Are you suggesting that Eichel's absence might make the team better?

Sounds to me like he's saying Eichel has a higher ceiling in terms of dynamic play and putting up points, but is more prone to risk taking, gaffs and/or mistakes which would lead to less defensive responsibility and more o-zone starts. The loss in production would be made up at least somewhat by improved defensive play and more responsibility out of what would've been Eichel's line... giving other players and other lines a little more elbow room to breathe offensively.

Not saying I agree, but that's how I read it.

 

[ThunderD]

I am past the depressed Buffalo fan stage now. Immediately I thought let's just move Samson to the middle and bump up Fasching and be delightfully surprised. Others here seem to be pushing that. My only problem is what if Reinhart explodes, what do we do when Eichel comes back? But I don't want to think that far ahead now and I will chalk it up to "good problems to have".

Move Reinhart to the middle short term and let's see what these young wingers can do. We have enough between Fasching, Bailey, Nylander and maybe Baptiste that one of them should replace Reinhart while Reinhart replaces Eichel. My money is on Fasching, he made the team for a reason. Or as some say we count on Ennis and/or others to have bounceback seasons that the collective total will be far better than last year and we do well enough until Jack gets back. Add in Okposo's totals that we didn't have last year and we will at least get entertaining hockey and a potential playoff run.

Just trying to enjoy things instead of falling into the Buffalo fan mindset.

 

[Icicle]

I am past the depressed Buffalo fan stage now. Immediately I thought let's just move Samson to the middle and bump up Fasching and be delightfully surprised. Others here seem to be pushing that. My only problem is what if Reinhart explodes, what do we do when Eichel comes back? But I don't want to think that far ahead now and I will chalk it up to "good problems to have".

Move Reinhart to the middle short term and let's see what these young wingers can do. We have enough between Fasching, Bailey, Nylander and maybe Baptiste that one of them should replace Reinhart while Reinhart replaces Eichel. My money is on Fasching, he made the team for a reason. Or as some say we count on Ennis and/or others to have bounceback seasons that the collective total will be far better than last year and we do well enough until Jack gets back. Add in Okposo's totals that we didn't have last year and we will at least get entertaining hockey and a potential playoff run.

Just trying to enjoy things instead of falling into the Buffalo fan mindset.

Reinhart looked bad at his stint in center last year.

But if he really explodes, Eichel just goes to ROR's wing. Problem solved.