Bettman: Both sides of Eichel stalemate have 'the best intentions'

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Monday the league is monitoring Jack Eichel's stalemate with the Buffalo Sabres but didn't offer much insight on a potential resolution.

"We're pretty up to speed in terms of what's going on," Bettman said on Sportsnet's "The Jeff Marek Show" on Monday. "And there's a legitimate disagreement among doctors as to what the course of treatment would be best both in the short term and the long term, and that's something everybody's wrestling with."

Eichel and the Sabres have been at odds for the past several months over treatment for the star center's ailing neck. Eichel has been adamant in his desire to undergo an artificial disc replacement procedure, but the club has denied his request and wants him to undergo spinal fusion surgery.

The 24-year-old's preferred surgery has been proven to yield better long-term results than spinal fusion, but there is extremely limited research on its viability for active athletes in contact sports. Artificial disc replacement has never been performed on an NHL player.

"It's a terrible situation. I don't think it's fair to point the finger at anybody in terms of who's right or who's wrong," Bettman said. "I think everybody's approaching this with the best intentions, and the injury is complex both in its diagnosis and its treatment, and I think people need to be a little more patient."

Eichel fired his agents Peter Fish and Peter Donatelli in late August after a trade from the Sabres failed to materialize; Fish and Donatelli originally anticipated a deal by the start of free agency in mid-July. Eichel is now represented by Pat Brisson of CAA.

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner - one of Eichel's former Sabres teammates - voiced his displeasure this past weekend with the National Hockey League Players' Association's handling of the situation, calling the stalemate an attack on Eichel's "freedom of choice."

The Sabres stripped Eichel of his captaincy on Sept. 23 after he failed his physical. With the 2021-22 season set to begin Oct. 12, it remains unclear if Eichel will be able to suit up at any point during the coming campaign.