The Golden Knights are all set to fill the void in their center, by acquiring three-time superstar Jack Eichel from Buffalo Sabres in what is said to be the blockbuster deal of the year.
According to the reports, the deal was finalized in the early hours of Thursday.
The Golden Knights have also decided to acquire Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs from the Sabres for illustrious packages altogether.
The Knights were determined to get Eichel on their side despite the $10 million salary cap and the uncertainty that surrounds his health.
Eichel is undergoing an injury because of a herniated disk in his neck and might be going towards an artificial disk replacement surgery. The Sabres’ organization wants Eichel to get fusion surgery therefore the discussion regarding his health condition is still ongoing.
According to the trade, the Golden Knights approve the disk replacement surgery that is mandatory for better health for Eichel and it also means that the recovery period from the surgery will last 2 to 3 months.
Jack Eichel was picked at No.2 in the 2015 draft of the NHL just behind Connor McDavid. He signed an eight-year contract with another extension in 2017 worthy of $80 million. He was also named the captain of Sabres at the mere age of 21.
Eichel got hurt on March 7, 2021, during a match with the New York Islanders. The injury badly plagued the rest of the season. He missed 33 games of the season and finished with just 18 points and 2 goals.
Jack Eichel has also failed the physical routine test this September during the training camp and was stripped from the captaincy by the Sabres officials.
Jack Eichel hails from North Chelmsford, Massachusetts, and has appeared in straight All-star games from 2018 to 2020.
The dispute over his injury has led to miscommunication between the team management and himself and he decided to opt to be traded to any other team of the league.
Jack Eichel also fired his agent over the injury dispute and hired Pat Brisson in order to be picked up by any other team.
