When it comes to Jack Eichel, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is like everyone else: He agrees the stalemate the star center is having with the Buffalo Sabres over his medical situation is a bad look for all involved but doesn't know how to broker a solution.
The Sabres aren't going to trade Eichel until they can get the return they want, Harrington says. How can you break the logjam? It's time for Ex-Captain Jack to take a bold step: Go have your surgery.
"Most importantly, we're focused on Jack's health," Bettman said Monday in an interview with Jeff Marek on Sportsnet 590 The Fan in Toronto. " ... We're pretty up to speed on in terms of what's going on and there's a legitimate disagreement among doctors as to what the course of treatment would be best, both in the short term and the long term. And that's something that everybody's wrestling with."
Eichel has been dealing with a herniated disk in his neck since March, and the Sabres stripped him of his captaincy when training camp opened two weeks ago as the sides continue to battle over a treatment plan. Eichel wants artificial disk replacement surgery while the Sabres want him to have a standard fusion procedure, which Eichel is refusing. Under terms of the collective bargaining agreement extension reached in July 2020, the teams control the medical decisions made for their players.
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Marek said the situation is "bad for the Sabres, it's bad for the Pegulas, it's bad for Jack Eichel, Kevyn Adams, their fans, the NHL, USA hockey in an Olympic year" and wondered what role the NHL is playing.
"It's a terrible situation," agreed Bettman. "I don't think it's fair to point the finger at anybody in terms of who's right or who's wrong. I think everybody's approaching this with the best intentions. And the injury is complex, both in its diagnosis and its treatment. And I think people need to be a little more patient, because it's not good for anybody. But most importantly, we've got to focus on collectively worrying about Jack's health, both in the short term and the long term."
Marek then asked Bettman if it was possible for the commissioner to pull a "good-for-the-game" card to break the logjam between the parties, much like the "best interests of baseball" clause that's been available in that sport for decades.
"No, it's really what's good for Jack," Bettman said. "And I can't tell you medically right now, as we're speaking, what the best course of treatment is and that's really what this is boiling down to: What's best from a medical standpoint?"
Mike Harrington
Sports Columnist
A News staffer since 1987, I'm a Baseball Hall of Fame voter, a 2013 inductee into the Buffalo Baseball HOF and the Buffalo chapter chair of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. And I insist only Chicago & New York can come close to Buffalo pizza.
