Jack Eichel is not playing for the Buffalo Sabers against the New Jersey Devils on Thursday due to an injury to his lower body.
On Thursday, Buffalo coach Ralph Krueger revealed that the center suffered an injury that left him for several weeks before the training camp. It is not known whether this injury is related.
“Everyone has to realize that he had a pre-workout injury that prevented him from doing a lot of physical activity for several weeks,” said Krueger at WGR 550. “He started the training ground a week late. The pace of the game what we had and the forced eight-day break (for the NHL COVID-19 protocol) that everyone had a few weeks ago, he worked as hard as anyone else to catch up, but all circumstances prevent him from being 100 percent percent of physical condition and form, because we simply don’t have training and we don’t have training time between games. “
The Sabers (6-8-2) started a three-game homestand against Devils tied with them for seventh place in the eight-team East MassMutual Division.
Eichel participated in the warm-up after not participating in the morning skate. He was tied with the striker Victor Olofsson for Sabers he leads with 14 points and scored two goals in 16 games.
“The way this season is and the way the games are coming to us, we are monitoring each individual in a different way, and we feel for the game tonight, it was better for him to skate before the game today,” said Krueger. “You all need to be ready for all kinds of situations where we break the routine, as we feel it’s more like a playoff rhythm coming up for us now. Finding different ways to gather energy, especially in the high minute guys. That can be enough to progress regularly now. “
Eichel had an average of 20:50 ice time per game, the first among Sabers attackers. He led Buffalo with 50 shots on goal and hit the post five times, tied with the Edmonton Oilers striker Leon Draisaitl for the NHL leadership. Eichel scored 78 points (36 goals, 42 assists) in 68 games last season and has never scored less than 24 goals in his previous five NHL seasons.
“I think he was really able to build some energy in the last game (a 4-1 win at Devils on Tuesday) and, as you said, the posts were almost a confirmation of doing the right things, being in the right places , make the right moves and just lose a millimeter or a percentage point, “said Krueger before the game. “I like what happened in his mind after the game and where he is now, so I am optimistic that he is about to explode.
“He dealt with the re-entry, which was so difficult with the injury he had just before the training camp, late training camp and trying to get in and up to the level he expects of himself and what we are all used to while playing it has not been an easy task. But we feel that he is moving closer and closer to where he wants to be and, again, I want to underline that the last game was a positive point where I expect another level here today.
Heather Engel, independent correspondent for NHL.com, contributed to this report