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VGK Jack Eichel

FILE- In this Jan. 19, 2021, file photo, Buffalo Sabres’ Jack Eichel looks on during a stoppage in an NHL hockey game against the Philadelphia Flyers in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Derik Hamilton, File

Updated 10 hours, 40 minutes ago

The Golden Knights have won the sweepstakes for Sabres superstar Jack Eichel.

Vegas swung a massive trade with Buffalo in the early hours of Thursday, acquiring Eichel for forwards Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs as well as a conditional first- and second-round pick, the teams announced. Vegas also acquired a conditional third-round pick.

Eichel requires neck surgery, a process known as artificial disk replacement that has never ben performed on an NHL player but is otherwise not uncommon. The Sabres’ hesitancy to allow him the surgery led to a falling-out with their captain and former second-overall pick, which led to the trade.

Vegas’ first-round pick is top-10 protected. If the Golden Knights’ pick does not fall in the top 10, Buffalo receives the 2022 first and a 2023 second while Vegas gets Buffalo’s 2023 third. If the pick does fall in the top 10, things move back a year — Buffalo would get a 2023 first and a 2024 second, while Vegas would get a 2024 third.

Eichel is expected to have the surgery soon, according to reports, and the hope is for him to make his Golden Knights debut after the All-Star and Olympics breaks in February.

When healthy, Eichel is one of the top centers in hockey and is compensated as such. He carries a $10 million cap hit and is under contract for five more seasons. That cap hit represents the highest on the Golden Knights roster.

Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty and William Karlsson are currently injured, meaning fitting Eichel under the salary cap will not be an issue until both Eichel and the remaining hurt Vegas players have returned. With Tuch also on injured reserve, the trade cost Vegas only Krebs from the current roster.

Eichel was selected with the second pick of the 2015 draft, and was considered a top-overall talent had he not been in the same draft class as Oilers star Connor McDavid. He’s played 375 games with the Sabres, amassing 139 goals and 355 points across six years.

He played only 21 games last year before his injury, but still managed 18 points. His most productive season was 2019-20, where he had 36 goals and 78 points in just 68 games.

Eichel represents the latest star player to find his way to Vegas. The Golden Knights’ hunt for high-end talent began at the expansion draft when they took goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. Since then they have made deals for wingers Stone and Pacioretty, goalie Robin Lehner and defenseman Alex Pietraneglo.

And now they’ve acquired their center.

Article written by #LasVegasSun

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