The Jack Eichel trade watch appears to be at an end, with NHL insider Darren Dreger confirming Andrew Peters' initial report that the Buffalo Sabres have traded their injured and disgruntled franchise center to the Vegas Golden Knights.
The blockbuster deal that Dreger confirmed is pending a trade call with the NHL early Thursday morning, involves a package of assets that on paper don’t measure up to the North Chelmsford, Mass. native and former Boston University star. Eichel, however, is not healthy at this time and will require a likely procedure to address his injured back.
All of that uncertainty surrounding his longer-term future, not to mention his $10 million cap hit and a no-movement clause (NMC) that kicked in for the 2022-23 season, once again forced Sabres GM Kevyn Adams into dealing from a position of weakness when it comes to a prime return for a top forward.
Per reports, the Sabres are sending Eichel and a third-round pick out West and receiving NHL veteran (and former Boston College forward) Alex Tuch, top prospect Peyton Krebs, Vegas’ first-round pick in 2022, and a third-round pick in 2023.
