Jack Eichel Transaction | Double or double in Vegas

The Vegas Golden Knights definitely don’t do anything like the others.

Mathias Brunet
Press

For this young team born in 2017, whose logic would have dictated a slow construction, we do not care about the future.

First-round picks remain abstract concepts and prospects are of no use if they can’t contribute right away.

But with a Stanley Cup final and two square aces in four springs of existence, can we really blame them for doing so?

Vegas struck again on Thursday morning. They gave the Buffalo Sabers their best prospect, center Peyton Krebs, a 2022 first-round pick and colossus Alex Tuch, 25, in return for Jack Eichel.

When he will recover from his injury to the cervical vertebrae, in a few months, Eichel, 25, will join Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone in a formidable first trio.

It’s still a great poker move from the Golden Knights, but we’re in Vegas, aren’t we?

At first, it is not clear how Eichel will recover from his delicate surgery. We guess that the Golden Knights will let him choose his course of action, that is to say an operation never performed to date on a hockey player.

There is also a question of the salary cap, already tight in Vegas. Tuch will average 4.7 million this season and the next four. Eichel earns an average of 10 million per season, and has four more years of contract.

As talented as he was, Eichel, drafted second after Connor McDavid in 2015, never led the Sabers in his six years there. He has seen four coaches and three general managers. Obviously we can’t put all the blame on him, but we expect a player of this dimension to make some difference nonetheless.

There are now only two first-round picks left in the Golden Knights’ organization: Brendan Brisson, drafted at 29^e rank in 2020 and son of the famous Quebec agent Pat Brisson, and the 30^e choice in 2021, Zachary Dean.

Let’s recap. The first of three first-round picks in 2017, Cody Glass, sixth overall, was traded last summer for another first-round pick that year, Nolan Patrick, back on the injured list for yet another times.

Nick Suzuki, 13^e overall pick, went to the Canadiens with Tomas Tatar and a second-round pick for Pacioretty. Defender Erik Brannstrom, 15^e overall, still trying to establish himself in the NHL with the Senators. In this case, Vegas doesn’t regret ceding it to Ottawa to get Mark Stone.

The first round pick in 2018 was traded (with second and third round picks) for Tatar. He brought Joe Veleno to the Detroit Red Wings.

The return is very interesting for a club in reconstruction like the Sabers. Peyton Krebs, 20, was drafted two-row after Cole Caufield in 2019.

Krebs is a center, Caufield a winger. But both are packed with talent. Krebs has been shut out in nine games this season, but has dominated his first two AHL meetings with five assists. He has amassed 103 points in his last 62 games in the Western Junior League.

Alex Tuch, brother of CH prospect Luke, is a beefy 6-foot-4, 220-pounder. He is only 25 years old. He amassed 33 points, including 18 goals, in 55 games last year, 27 goals and 49 points prorated for a full season.

Buffalo now has three first-round picks in 2022. The Florida Panthers ‘pick for Sam Reinhart could be late in the first round given the Panthers’ success. The one in Vegas could be more interesting. They occupy the 26^e overall ranking and Eichel, like Pacioretty, are on the long-term injured list. On the other hand, the Golden Knights have the leisure to give up their choice of 2023 in place of that of 2022 if they draft among the top 10 next June.

At center, the Sabers now have Casey Mittelstadt, eighth overall pick in 2017, World Championship MVP in 2018 and number one center to open the season before getting injured; Dylan Cozens, 20, seventh overall pick in 2019, four points in nine games this season and now Krebs.

Winger Jack Quinn, eighth overall in 2020, 20, has 12 points in his first seven American League games of the season.

The top pick in the 2021 draft, defenseman Owen Powers, 6-6, 215 pounds, will no doubt join the team next season. At 18, he already has eight points in as many meetings with the powerful Wolverines at the University of Michigan.

Buffalo is already counting on a potential Victor Hedman potential with Rasmus Dahlin, the first overall pick in 2018. Dahlin, 6-3, 210 pounds, is playing almost 23 minutes per game this season, a team high. He amassed 111 points in his first 206 games.

Perhaps the Sabers will succeed in rebuilding this time. As for the Golden Knights, we will have to avoid surprise eliminations at the hands of teams like the Canadian in the future …

The feat of the day

The Hurricanes claimed a ninth victory on Wednesday. They still haven’t lost. Carolina dominates outrageously. Raleigh’s side have scored 37 goals and allowed just 15. The Hurricanes don’t even need the contribution of Jesperi Kotkaniemi, paid six million this year. The former Canadiens center has three points in nine games.

Quote of the day

The number of the day: 13

With two more points on Wednesday against Chicago, Andrei Svechnikov, second overall in 2018 ahead of Kotkaniemi, brings his total to 13 in just 9 games. He is fifth in NHL scorers, on a par with Anze Kopitar.