Dater’s Daily: Colorado doc wants to do Eichel surgery, Helm departure severs last link to Wings Cup years

Good Saturday to you all, hope it’s a pleasant one. Nice to have a somewhat cooler day. I’m not a hot weather guy, partially because I’m a ginger who burns easily. Here’s a story: I once got a sunburn so bad as a kid that just moving my shirt a millimeter against the skin would cause excruciating, shrieking pain. The mechanics of taking the shirt off were just going to be too painful, so my mother had to cut the shirt off with a pair of scissors. We didn’t know much about sunscreen in the early ’70s, when I was a wee lad….OK, let’s do some hockey links, thoughts, items, starting off with a note on Jack Eichel that has a Colorado connection:

• A neurosurgeon based here in the Denver area, Dr. Chad Prusmack, gave a great interview to the even greater hockey podcast, “31 Thoughts: The Podcast”, hosted by Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek. The topic was Jack Eichel, disgruntled Buffalo Sabres star. Basically, Eichel wants to get a neck surgery done by Dr. Prusmack that involves a relatively newer procedure whereby an artificial disc is implanted and the recovery time is a lot shorter than a more traditional fusion surgery, which has a much longer rehab and which Dr. Prusmack said is basically a more antiquated procedure for his type of neck injury. The Sabres want Eichel to get the fusion surgery, and they have final say on the matter according to his contract. So, there is quite the push and pull on this thing and there is as of yet no resolution. Prusmack said Eichel could be fully recovered in about six weeks if he had the newer procedure – and be safer moving forward – while it would be probably at least three months with the fusion. I encourage fans interested in this unique story to give it a listen (Spotify)
• As someone who is likely facing a fusion surgery myself, to the lower back, I was all ears for this one. It’s full of risk, but I have to do something to get off the steroid I’ve been on the last 18 months, just to get through the day. The pills have their own side effects, which I believe are starting to, uh, affect me in some bad ways.
• Darren Helm, now with the Avs, was the last active link to Detroit’s Cup days (Detroit Hockey Now)
• Why the addition of Helm will be good for the Avs (Mile High Hockey)
• Yes, I’ve buried the hatchet with MHH, and them with me, and thankfully not in each other’s skulls.
• Avs signed D-man Jordan Gross to a two-way deal today. Gross, 26, spent last season with the Arizona Coyotes, where he had three assists in seven games.  Gross also spent time on the taxi squad.
• Are the Pittsburgh Penguins trying to officially rebuild and not “win now” as much? Our writer in Yinzer Land thinks…maybe (Pittsburgh Hockey Now)
• Why Alex Tuch will be lost to Vegas for the next six months and why they traded Ryan Reaves (Vegas Hockey Now)
• Boston: David Krejci called it an NHL career. The only free agent center to score more than 40 points will head home to play in the Czech Republic. 
• Washington: Alex Ovechkin has learned English well enough to use some country slang after his new contract, “I don’t wanna go nowhere!”
• San Jose: Bonino, Bonino, Bonino! The San Jose Sharks snagged Nick Bonino, Andrew Cogliano, and James Reimer. But are they right for the Sharks?
• Vancouver: The Canucks and GM Jim Benning hit the free-agent market for a bunch of names you’ve heard but are borderline NHL players. They signed two-way deals. Vancouver’s AHL team should be dynamite. 
• Your top 250 NHL fantasy players (and Darcy Kuemper took a big jump) (NHL.com)
• The Great One credits Charles Barkley for his decision to go to TNT (NHL.com)