BUFFALO — There was plenty for Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams to address when he met the media for his first press conference of the 2021 preseason. But the near 30-minute conversation centered around one Jack Eichel, who failed his pre-training camp physical on Wednesday and will need surgery to repair a neck injury that ended his’ 20-’21 season in early March.

Since suffering a herniated disk in a Mar. 7 game against the New York Islanders, the former first-round pick has lobbied for artificial disk replacement surgery to repair the injury. However, Sabres’ doctors disagree with that course of action, leading to a standstill in Eichel’s recovery and murkiness surrounding his status with the team.

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