A Late Scratch Has The Jack Eichel Chatter Picking Up

The Buffalo Sabres announced just moments before warm up that captain Jack Eichel was a late scratch with a lower-body injury. There wasn't much leading up to the game suggesting Eichel wasn't going to play so the news came with a touch of surprise.

The Avs are getting Jack Eichel! https://t.co/lpRBypFFim
— Glass-blowin' Cobra Man (@BobInBoulder) February 26, 2021

I didn't know the "get me the fuck out of Buffalo" bone was located in the lower body https://t.co/SVncAtmh7M
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) February 26, 2021

"Fans can come back to the arena soon!"

".....Jack Eichel won't be there though." https://t.co/KYL4N4oXi8
— Name cannot be blank (@RealChrisCote) February 26, 2021

Not only is a once frustrated with losing Eichel not playing on Thursday night against the New Jersey Devils, the team also then decided not to re-insert Jeff Skinner into the lineup in Eichel's place. Skinner and his $9,000,000 cap hit sit once again.

Jack Eichel: I can't go tonight

Jeff Skinner: does that mean tha--

Ralph Krueger: absolutely not
— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) February 26, 2021

Buffalo is all of a sudden becoming an interesting place to be as the Sabres are full of entertaining story lines. Buckle up Sabres fans.

Photo credit: Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire

Elliotte Friedman on WGR550 on whether he ever sees the possibility of the Sabres trading Jack Eichel: "Yes"

"Well here's the thing, obviously the way the Sabres came back out of the break with two really tough losses has started the talk about what could be happening."
— J (@Account4hockey) February 18, 2021