The Buffalo Sabres are tied for the longest currentplayoff drought in all of professional sports alongside the New York Jets at 14 seasons. Since the 2011 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, the Sabres have failed to make it back to the playoffs. No matter the star power they've had since then, it just wasn't enough for them to even clinch a spot.
Buffalo's biggest star was undoubtedly Jack Eichel, the player they drafted second-overall in 2015. Yet even six years with the team, the Sabres couldn't make it to the playoffs. Ultimately, the relationship between the player and team became strained, leading to him getting traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. In two short years, Eichel won his first Stanley Cup title.
Eichel is notably set to become a free agent after this upcoming season. Instead of aiming on testing the open market, he expressed his desire to remain with the Golden Knights.
"I mean, at this moment, yeah, I'd like to stay," Eichel told ESPN on Wednesday at the NHL Player Media Tour.
Jack Eichel's desire to remain with Golden Knights reminds Sabres fans of departure disaster
Eichel's departure from Buffalo had nothing to do with the team's lack of success. Rather, it had to do with a dispute with the Sabres over how to treat a neck injury.
Eichel had suffered a herniated disk during the 2020-21 season, and visited an independent doctor to find out the severity. This ultimately led to a months-long standoff, with both Eichel and Sabres having a disagreement over what kind of surgery he should get. The team wanted Eichel to undergo fusion surgery, while the player wanted to get artificial disc replacement surgery. The Sabres declined Eichel's request. Eichel declined undergoing a fusion surgery. The Sabres responded by stripping Eichel of his captaincy. By Nov. 2021, Eichel was traded to Vegas.
If this entire situation was handled better and the two sides reached an agreement on the surgery (maybe agreeing to Eichel's preferred surgery), the relationship may have been salvaged. As a result, Eichel would still be on the Sabres.
The Sabres sure could have used Eichel, especially during the 2022-23 season. The Sabres had a strong season, and looked as though they were ready to end their playoff drought. Ultimately, they finished the season with 91 points (42-33-7 record), finishing one point behind the Florida Panthers for the final Wild Card spot. Ironically, that year, the Panthers made a run to the Stanley Cup Final, where they took on the Golden Knights.
Eichel is technically a free agent next summer, alongside fellow top players in Connor McDavid and Kirill Kaprizov. But based on his comments this week, he would like to remain with the Golden Knights. We'll see if the two sides can reach an agreement. Either way, it's a case of what could have been for the Sabres.