Golden Knights set to acquire star center in blockbuster trade

The Golden Knights filled their request for an elite center, acquiring three-time each prima Jack Eichel from Buffalo successful a blockbuster woody that was completed aboriginal Thursday, according to aggregate reports.

To onshore the 25-year-old standout, the Knights reportedly are acceptable to nonstop a bundle to the Sabres with guardant Alex Tuch and imaginable Peyton Krebs arsenic the centerpiece.

The Knights were consenting to marque the determination contempt Eichel’s $10 cardinal wage headdress deed and uncertainty implicit his health.

Eichel is sidelined with a herniated disk successful his cervix and feuded with the Sabres’ enactment for months implicit however to dainty the injury, preferring to acquisition an artificial disk replacement surgery. That process ne'er has been performed connected an NHL player, and the Sabres recommended Eichel person a fusion surgery.

Under NHL corporate bargaining agreement, teams person the last accidental connected the attraction of injuries.

The aesculapian standoff drew the attraction of Knights goaltender Robin Lehner, who spoke retired successful defence of Eichel successful aboriginal October.

By making the trade, the Knights are indicating they volition o.k. Eichel’s disk replacement surgery, which comes with a two- to three-month betterment period.

Eichel was the No. 2 prime successful the 2015 draught down Connor McDavid and spent 1 play astatine Boston University earlier jumping to the NHL.

He signed an eight-year, $80 cardinal declaration hold successful 2017 and was named the Sabres’ skipper earlier the 2018-19 play astatine property 21.

Eichel posted a career-high 82 points successful 77 games that play and was 10th successful the league with 78 points (36 goals, 42 assists) successful 68 games erstwhile the 2019-20 docket was paused due to the fact that of the coronavirus pandemic.

Eichel was wounded March 7 erstwhile helium was checked into the extremity boards by Casey Cizikas of the New York Islanders, ending his injury-plagued season.

He missed the last 33 games and finished with 2 goals and 18 points. In his postseason exit interview, Eichel said determination was a “disconnect” betwixt him and the squad astir however to dainty his cervix injury.

That led to a monthslong quality that saw Eichel occurrence his cause and prosecute Pat Brisson, the begetter of Knights 2020 first-round prime Brendan Brisson, to assistance broker a commercialized to a squad that would motion disconnected connected his artificial disk replacement surgery.

Eichel failed his carnal astatine the commencement of grooming campy and was stripped of the captaincy by the Sabres successful September.

The autochthonal of North Chelmsford, Massachusetts, is simply a five-time 20-goal scorer and appeared successful 3 consecutive All-Star Games from 2018 to 2020.

He is signed done 2025-26, and the no-movement clause successful his declaration kicks successful aft this season, according to CapFriendly.com.

This is simply a processing story. Check backmost for updates.

Contact David Schoen astatine dschoen@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ connected Twitter.