As expected, Buffalo Sabres forward Jack Eichel did not pass his physical and has been placed on injured reserve, the team announced Thursday morning. GM Kevyn Adams made the official announcement during his first media availability of the season.
Also to no surprise, Eichel has also been stripped of the captaincy.
“The captain is the heartbeat of your team,” Adams said. “I felt that we needed to address that.”
Adams noted that the team will not name a captain for the 2021-22 season, instead allowing the group to “learn and grow.”
Although the team said they don’t want Eichel to be a distraction, it’s hard to think of the situation as anything but a distraction when more than half of Adams’ media availability focused on Jack.