#5 Jack Eichel traded to the Las Vegas Golden Knights
The Las Vegas Golden Knights officially traded for star centerman Jack Eichel this November, and the news rocked the league. While the Golden Knights are still plagued with injury issues and have a great deal of time left before Eichel can even play for the team, this is a trade that could be an excellent long-term investment.
Was it worth what they gave away?
"The price was high for him, obviously, in terms of what we have sent to Buffalo, but at the same time for a player of this ilk, it should be high,'' Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon said in a news conference. "For me, when you look at what an NHL contending team should look like, he's really an important piece of that.''
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ9zKLARPOs
#4 Las Vegas Raiders deal fan favorite Alex Tuch to Buffalo Sabres
The Las Vegas Golden Knightstraded away Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs to the Buffalo Sabres to acquire Eichel, marking the second time this year that the team let a fan favorite go. The first time was during the offseason when the Knights traded Marc-Andre Fleury to the Chicago Blackhawks. That was a hard pill that Golden Knights fans have barely begun to digest, and the injury-plagued season isn't helping anything. Hopefully, there will be some signs of growth soon. It's going to be hard without a megastar like Alex Tuch, though.
The Golden Knights also gave away a second-round pick and a third-round pick in the 2022 /2023 NHL drafts, but only time will tell how that pans out. With that being said, the Golden Knights trading away another star player is a huge loss for the fans. It also might be what ends up hurting the team in the end if Eichel can't live up to his side of the deal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ9iFYC0XUE
#3 The controversy with the Buffalo Sabres
Jack Eichel initially suffered his neck injury on March 8, 2020, when he hit his head against the boards in a game with the Islanders. He would miss the final 33 games of the 2020 season and was later stripped of his captaincy after failing a pre-training camp physical before the 2021 season. This was only the begging of the drama. What played out over the next couple of months ended Eichel's time in Buffalo.
It was eventually revealed that Eichel was disputing with team doctors about the type of surgery he should get to repair his neck. The Sabres' doctor wanted to do a fusion on his neck and then give him time to rehab before returning to the ice. Eichel wasn't comfortable with that, however, and opted for artificial disk replacement surgery instead.
The Sabres' doctors weren't happy with this, claiming they would be uncomfortable with him getting a surgery that has never been done on an NHL player. This resulted in severe back and forths with the team and eventually Eichel's trade to the Las Vegas Golden Knights. The Knights have also come out in support of him getting the surgery.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIQyDvM5r9s
#2 Jack Eichel's timetable for return
According to ESPN reporter Greg Wyshynski, Jack Eichel underwent surgery for his neck at the Rocky Mountain Spine Clinic in Denver, Colorado. He will now undergo three weeks of treatment at the facility and then fly to Vegas to undergo the rest of his rehab in Nevada. No definitive timetable has been given for Eichel’s return yet.
Still, it looks like Eichel might make his first start sometime in January or February of 2022. Whether that happens or not remains to be seen, but it would definitely be a game-changer to have him on the ice in the final months of the season. It might even be what gives the team a shot at the playoffs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DndoCJzNexg
#1 Can Jack Eichel save the Las Vegas Golden Knights?
Can Jack Eichel bring the Golden Knights back to the playoffs?
While that's the question Golden Knights fans probably want to be answered after the blockbuster trade, it's a tough one to delve into. The first problem is that the above timetable is only good if there are no complications during his surgery. The timetable will also depend on his time in rehab and what he can accomplish there. Any setback could end up keeping him off the ice for longer and maybe even the entire regular season. This is very much a long-term investment.
Another huge factor is the countless other players on the shelf right now, which leaves the Las Vegas Golden Knights at less than 100%. If Eichel is left to carry the load on his own without the likes of Max Pacioretty, Alex Stone, and Alec Martinez, he will struggle. It could be a completely different story if he is out there with the squad that took the team to the playoffs last year.
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=927085954585931&set=a.777591789535349