The 2023 playoffs marked the first time in Jack Eichel's eight-year NHL career he got to play in the postseason.
He did not disappoint.
Eichel and Golden Knights defeated the Panthers in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final, winning the franchise its first-ever NHL championship. The center played an integral part in the team's success, leading the postseason in points with 27 and recording eight assists in the final series.
The Golden Knights have been perennial Stanley Cup contenders since entering the league in 2018 but never had that true star player until the team traded for Eichel in the fall of 2021.
Not only did the acquisition help put the Golden Knights over the top, but it gave Eichel a chance to get his career back on track. The Vegas center reflected on the move after Game 5, discussing how the Golden Knights helped "change his outlook."
"I started to really enjoy coming to the rink again." #StanleyCup Champion, Jack Eichel chats with @FriedgeHNIC and @DavidAmber. pic.twitter.com/CUzTQgy5CG
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 14, 2023
"Coming here and being with these guys every day, it really changed my outlook on a lot of things," Eichel said after clinching the Stanley Cup. "I started to really enjoy coming to the rink again. Obviously, I got my health back and I can't give the entire organization enough credit for letting me come in here, get a surgery and get back out."
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Vegas would not have won the 2023 title without Eichel, and Eichel would not have had the resurgence success he's enjoyed if he was still in Buffalo.
It's one of those trades that has benefitted all parties involved and has brought a Stanley Cup to Vegas.
Why did the Sabres trade Jack Eichel?
A dispute over a neck surgery is ultimately what was the final nail in the coffin for the Eichel saga in Buffalo.
Eichel was once seen as the savior of the Sabres, selected with the No. 2 pick in the 2015 draft to lead the team out of the dark ages. However, nothing went according to plan, resulting in dark days in Buffalo.
Early in the 2020-21 season, Eichel collided awkwardly with Devils forward Nico Hischier. It later was announced that he had a herniated disk that would keep him out of the remainder of the season. He was placed on long-term injured reserve as a result.
In May of 2021, Eichel spoke about his injury with the media. It was then that he first expressed a "disconnect" between himself and the organization over the next steps to treat his neck.
"I've been a bit upset about the ways things have been handled since I've been hurt. I'd be lying to say that things have moved smoothly since my injury. There's been a bit of a disconnect between myself and the organization. It's been tough at times. Right now, for me, the most important thing is just trying to get healthy, figure out a way to be available to play hockey next year, wherever that might be."
Eichel and his camp wanted to get disc replacement surgery for his neck, however, the Sabres' doctors were advising against it.
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Instead, they suggested that he go for fusion surgery, an operation that could have had long-term effect on Eichel's health down the line. The disagreement created a rift between the two sides that was never resolved.
The star went the summer without any operation on his neck. As a result, he was not ready for the 2021-22 season, and the Sabres stripped him of his captaincy after he failed his physical. A few months later, the trade with the Golden Knights was completed.
It was speculated that Eichel had requested a trade from the Sabres, but it wasn't until after the deal went through that the center confirmed that he had in fact asked to be traded.
Eichel underwent the surgery he wanted immediately following the trade. As a result, he only played in 34 games during the 2021-22 season for the Golden Knights, and the team missed the postseason.
This year, he was a point-per-game player for Vegas, putting up 66 points in 67 games during the regular season. He followed that with a sensational performance in the playoffs.
In hindsight, the deal has worked out for both sides. Eichel helped lead the Golden Knights to a Stanley Cup, becoming the franchise center they needed. Meanwhile, the Sabres are in the final steps of their rebuild with a bright future, and Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs, acquired in the deal, are playing key roles for Buffalo.
Jack Eichel trade details
- Golden Knights: F Jack Eichel, 2023 third-round pick
- Sabres: F Alex Tuch, F Peyton Krebs, 2022 first-round pick, 2023 second-round pick
The deal was seen as a win-win for both sides. The Golden Knights got the best player in the deal and a franchise center, while the Sabres got rid of an injured player who wanted out for a bonafide top-nine forward, a promising prospect and a first-round pick.