TRAIKOS: Sabres strip Jack Eichel of his captaincy. It’s a move that seems motivated by spite

Article content material

Jack Eichel has not been traded. However his time with the Buffalo Sabres is certainly over.

Article content material

The staff made that time abundantly clear at the beginning of coaching camp on Thursday, when basic supervisor Kevyn Adams introduced the 24-year-old had been stripped of his captaincy — largely as a result of Eichel and the Sabres differ on the surgical strategy in repairing a herniated disc in his neck — after which took an pointless jab on the participant’s coronary heart for good measure.

All that was lacking was the ceremonial burning of Eichel’s jersey in effigy. Then once more, maybe the staff is saving that for one more day.

“Jack Eichel is now not the captain of the Buffalo Sabres,” mentioned Adams. “From our perspective, the captain is your heartbeat of your staff, and we’re in a state of affairs the place we felt we wanted to handle that and make that call.”

Article content material

It was a call that appeared motivated by spite — if not selfishness.

In spite of everything, there was no motive to publicly strip Eichel of the captaincy. Whether or not he sits out or will get traded, there aren’t any plans to call a successor this season. This was about sending a message.

The Sabres will not be glad that Eichel, who switched brokers in the summertime, had requested for a change of surroundings after lacking the playoffs in his first six seasons within the league. They’re even much less glad that he refuses to associate with the staff’s medical doctors and get spinal fusion surgical procedure, which might have made the prospect of buying and selling him rather a lot simpler.

So that they’re ready to make his life depressing, first by publicly stripping him of the captaincy after which by threatening to take a seat him out indefinitely for the remaining 5 years of his contract.

Article content material

“It’s a difficult state of affairs,” mentioned Adams, whose expertise as an NHL basic supervisor is proscribed to simply 15 months on the job. “That is so crucial how we transfer ahead with this franchise with constructing the tradition and interesting with our fan base in getting this group of followers to belief this group. We have now to earn it. We have now to show that. And that’s the message that went to the staff yesterday. We’d like individuals who wish to be right here for the fitting causes.”

To be honest, Eichel needed to be in Buffalo. He believed within the staff — a lot in order that he signed an eight-year contract price $80 million in 2017. However someplace alongside the way in which, issues began to vary.

It began when Ryan O’Reilly was traded to St. Louis, adopted by Evander Kane and goaltender Robin Lehner. Then, yearly, it appeared just like the Sabres had a brand new coach or a brand new GM. This summer time, issues lastly reached their breaking level when Buffalo traded Taylor Corridor and Eric Staal on the deadline, then moved Eichel’s long-time teammates Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen — signalling the staff was heading down the lengthy highway to rebuilding.

Article content material

For Eichel, who has by no means skilled a playoff recreation in his six-year profession, the considered enduring one other 5 extra years of shedding was an excessive amount of to deal with.

“That is robust for Jack,” mentioned Sabres head coach Don Granato, who beforehand coached a teenage Eichel on the U.S. Nationwide Workforce Improvement Camp. “I do imagine he cares. He goes arduous. He carries in all probability much more burden than any of us on this room, actually over the past 5 years, and I don’t know that I can relate to that. So I do have some compassion for that.”

That stage of compassion appeared to be lacking throughout Thursday’s information convention. As an alternative of speaking concerning the long-term fears Eichel has in present process spinal fusion surgical procedure, which might end in extra surgical procedures later in life, and the the reason why Eichel prefers synthetic disc substitute surgical procedure, the staff handled him as a commodity who has lessened his commerce worth by not going underneath the knife.

“Groups need readability,” mentioned Adams. “And over the course of the summer time, there wasn’t a lot readability. We have now readability now … This can be a franchise participant in his prime underneath contract. All these conditions don’t come up fairly often the place these gamers are moved. We imagine there’s worth on Jack Eichel.”

Article content material

There was no discuss of what Eichel has sacrificed throughout his first six years in Buffalo. How he had led the staff in scoring in 4 of these six years and was typically the lone vibrant spot for a corporation that has regularly spun its wheels and made misstep after misstep, basically losing the prime years of a participant who deserved a lot greater than the Sabres have given him.

No, it was all about what Eichel ought to do for the nice of the Sabres. And the way he was unwilling to do it. And the way that made him much less of a frontrunner and unworthy of carrying the ‘C.’ And the way, if issues didn’t change, what the subsequent 5 years might appear to be for him and his profession.

For a corporation that spoke concerning the significance of tradition, incomes belief and doing the fitting factor, it certain doesn’t appear to be they’re keen to take their very own recommendation.

“We’ll stick with our plan and we won’t cave or again down due to strain or as a result of persons are saying you must do that,” mentioned Adams. “We’re going to do what’s proper.”

And but, they’re going about it the flawed manner.

mtraikos@postmedia.com

twitter.com/Michael_Traikos