Quoting: Theo_nollaf
I'm starting to really hate Eichel. Like we get that losing isn't fun but you're the captain and some like Reinhardt, who had much more reason to leave as he wasn't being deployed properly, lasted two years longer. I don't remember Eichel ever asking for a trade because he still wants to seem like this nice guy that has a 'disconnect' over an injury when it's clear he hates Buffalo. His camp is slowly putting more and more pressure on the Sabres and I now I'm starting to see the other side and how he is being kind of a jerk. Like have some respect for your team and pretend you're ok with staying just to increase your value.
Why would Eichel care about the value BUF gets for him? It only makes the team he gets traded to weaker in the long run.
Eichel is the one trying to get back on the ice sooner with his surgery request. BUF isn't allowing it for their own reasons. I'm not saying which side is correct here, I'm not a medical professional. The big brain play would be for Eichel to stay injured (BUF's recovery plan) for the season (or most of it), tank his value until his NMC kicks in, and then he has 100% control over where he ends up.
This whole thing (Eichel, Reinhart, Risto, ROR. Ullmark, etc.) is due to BUF's failure as organization to build a winning team. Blame the owners, the GMs, coaches, scouts, or whoever; but it's the management side of the team, not the players side that has failed.