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Jack Eichel

Buffalo Sabres' Jack Eichel suffers high-ankle sprain

Mike Coppinger
USA TODAY

Buffalo Sabres phenom Jack Eichel crashed to the ice Wednesday, grabbed his left ankle and rolled around while screaming in pain.

Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel skates with the puck against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Eventually, he buried his helmet in his gloves while in the prone position, a grim sight for the team's hopes on the eve of their campaign-opening contest vs. the Montreal Canadiens.

The Sabres and Eichel avoided the worst, though. The team announced that Eichel suffered a left high-ankle sprain; there's no timetable for his return.

The American Journal of Sports Medicine estimates that it typically takes a hockey player 46 to 48 days to recover from such an injury, per The Buffalo News.

The 2015 No. 2 overall pick got tangled with Zemgus Girgensons in front of the net during Wednesday's practice.

All things Sabres: Latest Buffalo Sabres news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

"You’re looking at one of your key players, one of your best players going down in pain on the ice," head coach Dan Bylsma said. "It’s not a good thing. We’re going to let it calm down here and get it evaluated and see the extent of him turning his ankle there.

"This just feels a little bit different because it’s the cusp and the eve of starting a new season, one we’re all looking forward to."

Eichel, a Hobey Baker award winner, is the focal point of the Sabres' attack as their top-line center. The team hasn't qualified for the playoffs since 2011, when the Sabres were knocked out in the first round.

Eichel scored 24 goals and 32 assists during his rookie campaign. Bylsma announced that winger Kyle Okposo, who signed during the offseason for seven years and $42 million, will miss the opener with a knee injury.

“It took the wind out of the arena a little bit," Bylsma said. "You could probably slap the guys in the face to say ‘snap out of it.’ We’re eight minutes away from practice being over and that happens.“

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