IMO, the step to remove the eyes is to limit protrusions into the pool that can prevent the ice from moving. Last year for instance, we had a stretch of warm temps with snow that melted through the cover on to the "ice cap" that formed in the pool. Some of water made it under the ice while some froze on top of it. Either way the ice both raised and grew taller throughout winter. Anything sticking into the ice prohibiting it from lifting from water underneath it would have a lot of concentrated force at that point.
Just my $.02, and probably unlikely in TX but a real concern up north.