Jack Eichel injury update: Star center injures ankle

The Buffalo Sabres provided a slightly optimistic update to Jack Eichel’s injury, saying it’s an ankle injury. 

Buffalo Sabres fans got a huge scare early on Wednesday Oct. 12 when Jack Eichel left practice with an injury. He couldn’t put any weight on his left leg, which is never a good sign. After practice, Sabres head coach Dan Bylsma gave an update to Eichel’s status. He has an ankle injury, and for now, this is all the Sabres know.

This is a reason for Sabres fans to be ever-so-slightly optimistic as it likely lowers the possibility of Eichel being out long-term. A torn knee ligament or broken leg might have meant the end of the 2016-17 season for Eichel. Even in a worst case scenario, it’s not likely an ankle injury would cause Eichel to miss the entire season.

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The determining factor in Eichel’s timetable for return will be what kind of ankle injury he has. If it’s a broken ankle, Eichel will be out for at least six weeks. The worst case scenario would be if Eichel has a ligament or tendon injury. Florida Panthers forward Jonathan Huberdeau is out for three to four months following an ankle injury, however, if Eichel has just a minor tear or sprain, he could be back relatively quickly. It sure doesn’t look minor, but Eichel’s injury definitely wouldn’t be the first injury to look a lot worse than it actually is.

Sabres fans have dodged a bullet for now. A knee injury could be crippling for Eichel and knee injuries sometimes don’t completely heal and stars have been haunted by knee injuries for years to come. Still, any amount of time the Sabres will be without their star center will be detrimental to the team. Even though they have Ryan O’Reilly and Sam Reinhart, it’s very hard to see the Sabres having success if Eichel is out long-term.