After months of dispute between the Buffalo Sabres and Jack Eichel, the face of their franchise, Buffalo has finally completed a trade to give Eichel a fresh start elsewhere in the NHL. That fresh start will take place in Vegas as the Golden Knights acquired Eichel and a 2023 third-round pick in exchange for Peyton Krebs, Alex Tuch, a 2022 top-10 protected first-round pick, and a 2023 second-round pick.
“We are getting a player that I think is one of the top players in the league,” Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. “He’s in the prime of his career. It addresses a need within our organization. When you look at what a contending team should look like, he’s a big part of that.”
Eichel, who just recently turned 25 years-old, has been out since March 7 with a herniated disk. A major point of dispute between Eichel and the Sabres was which medical treatment Eichel would receive to repair the herniated disk, a conflict that created a larger discussion about the medical practices used in the NHL.
According to the Vegas Golden Knights Twitter account, Eichel will receive his preferred treatment of undergoing artificial disk replacement surgery, which will place him on a estimated 3-5 month recovery timeline.
The Buffalo Sabres drafted Jack Eichel second overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, one pick after the Edmonton Oilers selected center Connor McDavid. Eichel has undoubtedly become one an elite player in the league since, and has been a near point-per-game player since his NHL career started at the age of 19.
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