Jack Eichel was back practicing with his Buffalo Sabres teammates today. It’s still not certain when he’ll be able to play a game, but it’s progress all the same.
“It’s nice to get out there with a bunch of other people instead of myself,” said Eichel, per the Buffalo News. “That’s what you miss the most when you’re hurt. You miss playing but you miss your time with the guys, being in the locker room at the same time as them, just being around them. It’s tough to not be on the same schedule as them. It’s nice to get back in the swing of things.”
Eichel has been skating by himself for around a week. The 20-year-old center suffered a high-ankle sprain during practice on Oct. 12, the day before the Sabres’ season-opener. He was expected to miss 6-8 weeks, putting his earliest return date right around now.
The Sabres have missed their leading goal-scorer from last season, going 7-8-4 in their first 19 games. Buffalo will enter tonight’s home game against Detroit with the NHL’s worst offense, averaging just 1.89 goals per game.