After months of speculation, rumors, a stripped captaincy, and boredom, Jack Eichel has finally been dealt. Along with a third-round pick, the former captain of the Buffalo Sabres is going to the Vegas Golden Knights for Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, and two draft picks. One of them is a top-ten protected 2022 first-round pick, and the other is a second.
The injury-riddled Vegas team has lost Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty, who make up two-thirds of their first line. Since Eichel has joined the party, that is an entire injured top line. Tuch was one of those injuries, as he is yet to play this season. As you probably know, Eichel has also been injured. A neck injury limited him to 21 games last season. Eichel and his camp want artificial disc surgery, which is unprecedented for an NHL player. Buffalo would not let him get the procedure, but Vegas now will. Eichel is expected to return sometime after the Olympic break.
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Is It a Fair Return?
Recent rumors indicated that the Calgary Flames were the runners-up for the second overall pick in 2015. Some reports indicated that forward Matthew Tkachuk was on the table, but that seemed to be false, both by other reports and by the fact that Eichel would be a Flame had that been true. In any case, Buffalo opted to go with Vegas in the end.
The package coming to the Sabres is very… meh. A Syracuse native, Tuch grew up a Sabres fan, so at least he has some Sabres blood in him. However, he was a bottom-six guy in Vegas, despite putting up 18 goals with 15 assists in 55 games last season, which is better than his positioning would say. Tuch is signed for four more seasons after 2021-22, with a 4.75 million dollar cap hit. The former first-rounder Krebs has a bright future meanwhile, He has just 13 NHL appearances and only one career point. If he continued with Vegas, there was a great chance that he could grow into a top-six player. That should not change now, but Buffalo is a place where talent can die easily.
The picks are underwhelming. A first is nice, but to be top-ten protected is almost an insult. Vegas should not be that bad, but if their slow start were to somehow continue, then the Sabres should get a super high pick for a franchise center. The second-rounder is not entirely impressive, considering that a third is going the other way. Despite Eichel’s risky nature with the surgery, this is a disappointing return. The Columbus Blue Jackets got more for Seth Jones! Buffalo continues to Buffalo.
How Eichel Impacts Vegas
It will take a long time for Eichel to arrive in Vegas, but the team should be fine by then. The only impact on the present-day roster is the loss of Krebs, which does hurt. But Eichel will give them the number one center that they are looking for. Chandler Stephenson is nice, but not a top center. Eichel, when healthy, is a top-ten player in the league, borderline top-five.
He experienced an odd shooting slump before the injury last season, scoring twice in 21 games. He still had 16 assists. In 2019-20, Eichel scored 36 goals with 78 points in 66 games, the former being a career-high. This followed an 82-point season in 77 games. Just like Tuch, Eichel is signed for four more seasons after 2021-22. He does have a lot higher of a cap hit, at 10 million dollars.
The problem is going to be when Eichel returns. He is on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) currently, which does not hurt the cap situation for now. When he returns, the cap-strapped Knights might be in trouble. They could get through it this season, but next year will be a whole different story. Another active offseason could be on the horizon in Sin City.
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