The Buffalo Sabres finalized a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights for star centerman, Jack Eichel. In return, the Sabres get Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, a 2022 first-round draft pick, and a 2023 third-round draft pick. The Jack Eichel and Buffalo Sabres saga finally comes to an end, and the next step for him is getting the proper procedure done so he begins his rehab and hopefully be able to join his team for a playoff push later this season. Eichel last stepped on the ice on March 7th, 2020 against the New York Islanders, where the injury to his neck actually occurred.
Pending trade call, The @BuffaloSabres trade Jack Eichel and a 2023 3rd round pick, to the @GoldenKnights for Peyton Krebs, Alex Tuch, a 1st in 2022 and a 3rd in 2023.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) November 4, 2021
Who Won the Trade?
This is an exciting move for both sides, but one can make the argument that Buffalo got the better end on this deal. The Golden Knights’ injury report has a lot of cornerstone names that are out for a considerable amount of time. Guys like captain Mark Stone, William Karlsson, Max Pacioretty, and Nolan Patrick have all missed time already this season. Adding another guy that will likely miss the majority of this season is a big gamble, but most teams saw Eichel as being worth that gamble.
The Buffalo Sabres have been one of the biggest surprises of the season thus far. The Sabres currently have a 5-3-1 record with 11 points and are tied for second place in the Atlantic Division. They are getting production from all over the place. The team has eight players who have at least five points in nine games played, according to CBS Sports. Everybody assumed that they would be the same Buffalo Sabres they were last year. Especially after the departure of some of their top players in the past few years. Guys like Taylor Hall, Sam Reinhart, and Linus Ullmark have all moved on, but the Sabres have seemed to deal with those losses quite well.
Vegas, on the other hand, has really put all their chips on the table and are betting on short-term success. They don’t have a full complement of draft picks coming up in 2022. Furthermore, their prospect pool does not have much to get excited about. The team currently has a record of 4-5-0. At eight points, they are just a point above the last place spot in the Pacific Division. The majority of the team’s early-season woes can be attributed to the injuries. Now, they have traded away a player who has on the ice and playing well for the team. Alex Tuch had offseason surgery but could be back in a month’s time.
If all goes according to schedule, Alex Tuch may return from offseason shoulder surgery in a month or slightly more. Something for @BuffaloSabres fans to look forward to. https://t.co/KfV31N75A4
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) November 4, 2021
End Of The Drama
The biggest and best news about this trade is that Jack Eichel gets the fresh start that he deserves. It was wrong how Buffalo was handling his injury, and I commend him for standing up for himself. He is a tremendous hockey player and at 24 years old, his focus should be on his recovery so we can hopefully see him out on the ice at some point this year. As far as the teams go, time will tell which side benefits from this deal more.
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