It was a saga that dragged on and on (and on) for months but on Thursday, Jack Eichel’s tenure in Buffalo officially came to an end as he was traded with a 2023 third-round pick to Vegas in exchange for winger Alex Tuch, center Peyton Krebs, a 2022 first-round pick, and a 2023 second-round pick.
The Golden Knights had long been speculated as a landing spot for Eichel. Their desire to add a number one center had been well-known and they’ve had a tendency to find ways to land impact players in the early years of the franchise including the acquisitions of wingers Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty plus the signing of Alex Pietrangelo in free agency. Now, they have a legitimate top middleman, or at least that’s the hope assuming all goes well with his upcoming surgery.
The fact that Vegas was able to land Eichel without giving up a player from their current roster is impressive but it also is going to create some other challenges down the road from a salary cap perspective. Eichel joins Pacioretty and Stone on LTIR which keeps them cap-compliant for the next few months at least. But when they’re all ready to return, they will be well over the Upper Limit and some other moves will need to be made. Even if one of them stays on LTIR for the rest of the regular season, there’s still 2022-23 and beyond to think about. They have $78.735MM committed to 11 players for 2022-23, per CapFriendly, with an expected Upper Limit of $82.5MM. It doesn’t take a mathematician to figure out that more subtraction needs to come.
Whatever those moves ultimately wind up being will ultimately have to be factored into the cost of this deal for Vegas. They’ve given up Krebs, Tuch, and the two picks so far but what will the other ramifications be?
Meanwhile, Buffalo’s cap situation was at the exact opposite end to the point where they had to take on Johnny Boychuk’s injured contract from the Islanders merely to get back to the salary floor. But they were able to move Eichel without taking significant salary commitments back which appeared to be a goal when they started down this path last season.
In Krebs, they hope to have another center to build around alongside Dylan Cozens; the two were both first-rounders back in 2019 (seventh overall for Cozens while Krebs went ten spots later). The center spot has been the weakness of their quickly-expanding prospect pool and this certainly helps on that front although as is the case with all prospects, things may not go as planned.
As for Tuch, the Sabres add a power forward that has long been perceived as someone that could have another level in him if he had the chance to play a bigger role. He’ll get that chance with Buffalo and with five years of team control at a reasonable $4.75MM AAV, Tuch will be another long-term building block.
To get two potential top-six pieces plus a pair of draft picks (one being a first-rounder) is by no means a bad return but when you look at Eichel’s track record and how he was supposed to be the focal point of Buffalo’s rebuild, it’s understandable if it feels a little underwhelming as well. The Sabres are certainly a victim of circumstances here with his neck injury but it’s at least in part by their own design with their unwillingness to allow Eichel’s desired surgery, thereby delaying his return. Accordingly, there will be a ‘What If?’ element to this trade that will go on for years to come.
It only seems fitting that following all of the uncertainty for months leading up to the eventual trade, there’s still an awful lot of uncertainty even after it was made. Who else will need to leave Vegas to make the money work and what could have been the return had Sabres GM Kevyn Adams perhaps done things differently?
Of course, we can’t evaluate those scenarios but we can evaluate the trade itself. How do you feel both teams made out in this swap? Vote in the polls below to award your grades.
The Sabres did not trade for Boychuk to get above the cap floor. They were already cap compliant. In fact, the NHL would not have approved the Eichel trade if they were not cap compliant.
Kevyn Adams added the all-but-retired Boychuk to gain flexibility later in the season. If the Sabres were to trade away players they could have fallen below the floor. (More precisely, they would have been prevented from moving a player because that would have put them below the floor.)
At the TDL the Sabres can now actively play their traditional sellers role. All for the measly price of less than $500k.
Feel like this is the type of trade we really won’t know who won until closer to the end of next season if then.
Buffalo got a large heap of good things for a badly injured player making a good bit more than he’d be worth healthy who didn’t want to play for them any more. I’d give the Sabres a B.
IF Eichel were healthy, and IF he made a reasonable salary for his proven production, Vegas still overpaid for him, and blew up their own cap situation to boot. They are going to have to unload productive players in their core for nothing, just to take Eichel off of LTIR. A classic case of subtraction by addition, just to get a shiny new toy. The Knights don’t get an F *only* because that if Eichel comes back 100%, whatever all the drawbacks, he’s proven to be able to produce at a high level. But they sure get a solid D.
His cap hit is right where it should be if he were healthy. His production is a fraction less than Matthews but matthews is also higher paid.
If not for his injury his salary shouldn’t be an issue to anyone. Obviously Vegas thinks it’s just fine.
The question is (1) health and then (2) will his production increase or decrease after getting away from Buffalo. It could go either way. Stronger teammates could increase his production by taking some of the attention off of him or could his hurt production by reducing his ice time etc.
… Eichel’s production is a “fraction less” than Matthews? Say what?
Eichel’s played 33 more games than Matthews, and has 63 fewer goals. Matthews is defensibly responsible enough to have have Selke votes in three seasons. Matthews has a 52% FO percentage; Eichel’s got 44%, one of the most terrible on the dot of any center. Matthews has half again as many blocks AND takeaways both. Eichel is nowhere near Matthews.
Buffalo got a haul,but this is where other clubs need to circle Vegas like a vulture. Fans laugh and poke at my comments,but when you have sat in with GM’s and watch them sweat,knowing that their back(and jobs) are up against it,that’s when the player poker game starts. They are looking at Smith,Theodore,McNabb,etc,but Vegas is going to want cheap talent coming back. Swinging for a back up with more than 3 NHL games under his belt would be nice. And watch for that third club where the vultures can rinse a % of that contract….
This trade was a bad move for Vegas because they gave up a lot for player that’s about to get major surgery it’s a big risk for a hope and a prayer
If their lucky and it all works out the it a good deal on both sides but that’s a big IF
I voted B’s for both teams and B it is (smart voters here at PHR). ;)
I honestly think Buffalo could have gotten more before, and perhaps more even recently. instant deduction for overplaying their hand. Tuch is nice, but I’m not sold on Krebs and that 1st being top 10 protected is uninspiring. sure if the surgery doesnt work than its an easy win, but beyond that? VEG traded for a big risk, but Tuch is out anyways so some of the time out differential is cut down and they can pocket some cap space with Eichel on LTIR vs Tuch not. beyond Tuch I think their losses in this trade were fungible.
Krebs will be 2C where as Cozens will be 1c. Love the move even as far as putting him down in the AHL to most with Jack Quinn and JJ Peterka. Getting them together to build chemistry and confidence is huge and the right way to build him up. Tuch has always wanted to come here as he’s from Buffalo/Syracuse area. So to even have him recover till January’s and not be placed with the AHL 2.0 Sabres team right now is smart. Come TDL time the hope will be some of these players can be moved for any kind of capital and if the kids come up there will be no pressure to win but just to get acclimated with Granato style of play. Roster doesn’t look bad from a close future standpoint.
Skinner,Cozens,Peterka
Tuch,Krebs,Quinn
Thompson,Mittlestadt,Ollofson
Ruotsolinen/Asplund/Rosen
Power,Dahlin
Samuelson/Jokiharu
Bryson/Johnson
UPL,Levi,Portillo
Has Tuch made statements indicating he wants to play for Buffalo or is this one of those things where people make something up because it makes sense and everyone repeats it until everyone just assumes it is true?
I’m not saying you’re wrong, just curious if there is actual truth to it.
Yes, he’s said a few things. I’m not going to quote directly, but his intention:
“This is a dream come true.”
“I grew up a Sabres fan.”
“I can’t wait to put on that sweater.
Tuch’s from upstate New York. Kinda makes sense he grew up a Sabres’ fan.
Personally I like the deal for Vegas if Eichel comes back the same player. Buffalo did ok in the deal, but the Calgary offer seemed to be a bit more attractive.
The reported Calgary offer has been established to have been false by several sources.
The Flames were never going to give up Matthew T. in an Eichel trade. (And I like A. Tuch very much for the role Tkachuk would have played IF he were traded.) I am a huge Connor Zary fan but his ceiling is quite a bit lower than Krebs. Kevyn Adams deserves more credit than he’s getting for not building a fantasy league roster (just accumulate the best players out there based on stats). He is building a balanced roster that contemplates how each player will mesh in Granato’s system.
If he could have gotten Tkachuk and Cornato (+ a pick or two) I’d agree, param. But, they weren’t making that offer.
A and C.
Buffalo got two top six players and two picks for an injured tin man.
Vegas did upgrade their center depth, even if Eichel is only average, slotting Karlsson and Stephenson properly. This is key to winning a Cup…BUT their wing depth is mediocre, their D depth is suspect, Lehner is a wild card and their cap is FUBAR’ed going forward.
Foley likes shiny things.
Obviously, if Eichel returns healthy despite the risk and grows up, plays with heart and finally starts to fulfill his massive potential, good trade for Vegas…then.