Here’s what Jack Eichel had to say about returning to Buffalo

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Among the many banners that hang from the rafters at KeyBank Center, seven are there to commemorate the best of the Buffalo Sabres.

Jack Eichel was expected to be the eighth.

Billed as the savior for the struggling Sabres when he arrived, Eichel was unable lift the franchise from its malaise during his six seasons and bore the brunt of the blame until he was traded to the Golden Knights in November.

Now healthy after his preferred neck surgery, Eichel faces his former club for the first time Thursday. But the lingering resentment about the end of his time with the Sabres could lead to a icy reception from the fans.

“Obviously you have those thoughts and think about what sort of reception you’re going to get. But I can’t control that,” Eichel said Wednesday after practice. “I feel like I gave everything I had while I was here in Buffalo to the organization, to the community. I’m at peace with all that. Whatever the reception is, I’ll be able to handle it.”

The Sabres made Eichel the second pick in the 2015 NHL draft behind Connor McDavid after a stellar freshman season as Boston University, and he was projected to elevate Buffalo into a contender in the Eastern Conference.

Eichel signed an eight-year, $80 million contract extension before his third season in 2017 and was named captain in 2018. He started to emerge as one of the league’s brightest offensive talents that season, but team success didn’t follow.

Buffalo never finished higher than sixth in the Atlantic Division with Eichel in the fold, and the losses took their toll on Eichel, the franchise and its fans.

He requested a trade after the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season, which didn’t go over well with the team’s new front office, either.

“I was the captain and the leader of the group, and we didn’t have enough success, so of course a lot of that falls on my shoulders,” Eichel said. “As you get older and the years pass and you’re not having the success as a team you want and delivering results, at that point you start to feel the pressure a little bit more. And I think I did at times.”

Eichel sustained a herniated disk in his neck midway through last season and went through a contentious offseason as he butted heads with the Sabres about his treatment. While Buffalo’s doctors recommended a fusion surgery, Eichel preferred an artificial disk replacement procedure that never had been performed on an NHL player.

The team stripped Eichel of his captaincy in September after he failed his training camp physical, which further damaged an irreparable relationship.

Eichel said he has “no bitterness, none whatsoever” toward Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams or the Pegulas, who own the club. He was traded to the Knights for forwards Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs and two draft picks, and underwent surgery a week later.

“This city gave me so much, this organization gave me so much,” Eichel said. “At the end of the day, it is a business. They stuck by their doctors’ opinions, and I respect them for that. I hope people can respect me for standing by what I believed in and what I thought was right for myself.”

Eichel, 25, was cleared for contact after the All-Star Game and made his Knights debut Feb. 16 against Colorado. Without a training camp or preseason to help him prepare, Eichel said he was giving himself 10 games to find his legs and get back his timing.

On Sunday, Eichel scored the winning goal against Ottawa with 5.2 seconds remaining, his first signature moment with the Knights. Coach Pete DeBoer noted Eichel had his best game Tuesday in a 2-1 loss at Philadelphia with an assist and nine shots on goal while logging 20:29 of ice time.

In 10 games, Eichel has three goals and four assists, though the Knights are 4-5-1 with him in the lineup and averaging 2.3 goals.

“I’m sure it’s exciting for him,” defenseman Nic Hague said. “It’s obviously going to be a big night for him.”

Eichel admitted it was awkward walking into the arena Wednesday and heading toward the visitor’s locker room.

During practice, he worked on one-timers and joked with teammate Nolan Patrick about scoring from that same spot on the KeyBank Center ice while he was with the Sabres.

“It’s tough. This is not an easy situation for players,” DeBoer said. “It’s not easy to take worrying about whether people are going to boo you, especially when you’ve invested that. That weighs heavy on guys, and I would hope people would recognize how all-in he was on what he was doing here for a long time.”

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.