On November 4th, 2021, the Buffalo Sabres traded Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Former Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel is nearing a return to contact drills in practice, per Golden Knights head coach, Pete DeBoer. And despite Eichel’s overall talent, the Sabres acquired a ransom in the trade, including Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, and two early-round draft picks.
While Eichel played in thee NHL All-Star Games during his time with the Sabres, they may, in the end, win out on this thing. Sure, many considered Eichel to be a “generational talent,” but so far the Sabres have seen remarkable early returns in Krebs and Tuch.
How did the Buffalo Sabres fare in the Jack Eichel trade?
While this grade is subject to change in time, the Sabres struck gold with Tuch. The right-winger has 13 points in 13 games this season, and is logging more ice time than ever before at 19:46.
Krebs has bounced from the AHL to the Sabres’ main roster and generated respectable performances when called up. While he has just five points in 20 games this season (11 with the Sabres), Krebs has put on two stellar outings as of late, scoring three goals in the previous five games.
He has also made his mark with the Rochester Americans with 15 points in 18 games. Over at least the All-Star Break, Krebs is receiving even more reps with the Amerks. If he continues his recent trend as one of the Sabres’ top scorers when he returns to the NHL, this trade will look even better for the royal blue and gold.
Of course, Eichel‘s performance in Vegas compared to that of Tuch and Krebs in Buffalo will ultimately dictate the trade’s final grade, along with who the Sabres land with their acquired draft picks. As of right now, it’s safe to say a positive grade is at least trending in Buffalo’s direction. We’ll call it a solid B+ with potential to rise to an A if Krebs and Tuch continue to grow.
(All statistics courtesy of Hockey-Reference and Hockey DB)