One year ago today on November 4th, 2021, the Buffalo Sabres traded Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights and received a ransom in return.
When the Buffalo Sabres sent forward Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights for Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, a first, and second-round pick, the NHL universe found even more reason to laugh at the the organization. The Sabres, already laughingstocks, looked as though they were headed once again for the doldrums, especially through a bleak December 2021, January, and February 2022.
Meanwhile, however, Tuch became a pivotal part of the Sabres top two lines while Krebs snuck his way onto the roster. Then Eichel debuted for the Golden Knights, and well, things didn’t go exactly as planned, with Eichel underperforming and the Knights missing the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
Given the Sabres strong run in March and April, which included embarrassing Eichel during his homecoming thanks to none other than Tuch, it’s safe to say the Blue and Gold won Round 1 of the Jack Eichel trade. But this season, things have gone a bit differently for Eichel and his Knights.
The Buffalo Sabres and Knights have benefited (so far) in 2022-23
Who is leading the NHL’s Pacific Division? Vegas, and they are 10-2-0 in the process. And who is leading the Knights in scoring? You guessed it, none other than Jack Eichel, who has 12 points (5 + 8) on the season. So far in 2022, the trade has dramatically helped the Golden Knights get into contention, where they will probably stay for the rest of the season.
But that doesn’t mean the Sabres are losing Round 2. One important thing to remember is that, in terms of building a team, the Knights were already light years ahead of the Sabres. So to be 7-3-0 at this point with Tuch being one of the highest scorers and Krebs having shown vast improvement over the past two contests shows this trade is aging well for Buffalo.
Right now, Adams and the Sabres should have no regrets, even if Eichel is looking like a perennial All-Star in Vegas. They traded away a disgruntled forward for a hometown hero in Tuch, who has 10 points (7 + 3) on the season, and Krebs, who has just two points in eight contests, but has yet to play a full NHL season given his sheer youth.
Sabres still winners?
Overall, both the Sabres and Knights have improved. And while I have consistently said the Sabres won the Eichel trade, it doesn’t mean the Knights can’t have a better season, win a Stanley Cup, and consistently find themselves in the playoffs for the next decade with Eichel leading the way.
The Sabres are are a team that has not seen a playoff berth since 2010-11. So a playoff appearance alone this season would state they are still the winners here, especially with Tuch being a pivotal part of the team. Contention for the Stanley Cup in the future would also show this, assuming Tuch and Krebs, plus 16th overall pick Noah Ostlund, remain and become fixtures for the franchise.
The Knights already had a good team and Eichel is the player that could take them to the top. Meanwhile, the Eichel trade is looking more and more like a turning point for the Buffalo Sabres. One that played a key role in helping them transform from NHL doormat to a potential playoff contender in 2022-23, since they are 23-12-3 (49 points) since March 2nd.
If the trade indeed remains a staple in the Sabres turnaround, that alone makes them winners. Especially with such a young team that, if they are good this season, they will be great for years to come.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)
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