BUFFALO, N.Y. – Coach Jared Bednar and the Avalanche have experienced what it’s like to play without their top scorer, netting just nine goals in five games since Hart Trophy candidate Nathan MacKinnon went out with a shoulder injury.
The Buffalo Sabres are about to learn what that’s like, too.
The Sabres announced before Sunday’s game against the Avs that star center Jack Eichel would be out indefinitely with a high-ankle sprain suffered during Saturday night’s 4-2 win against the Bruins, dealing a major blow to the league’s worst offense.
Eichel, the second overall pick in the 2015 draft behind Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, is the Sabres’ leading scorer and ranks 21st in the league with 53 points (22 goals, 31 assists).