Jack Eichel shining brightly for Golden Knights

In a league where we're always looking for the 'winner' of a trade, one year after the Jack Eichel trade, it looks as though both teams got exactly what they needed.

A healthy and productive Jack Eichel is a happy Jack Eichel. (Photo by Steven Ellis)

One year and four days ago, the Buffalo Sabres and Vegas Golden Knights made a little trade. You might have heard about it. It involved Jack Eichel, who has come to the desert every bit as advertised. But what has made the deal so noteworthy is that it is one of those few trades in the NHL where everything has worked out perfectly for both sides.

The Golden Knights got the game-breaking, franchise-altering No. 1 centre they were lacking, and more importantly, he’s 100 percent healthy. In Alex Tuch, Payton Krebs and the first-round pick they used to select Swedish prospect Noah Ostlund, the Sabres received more building blocks to add to some of the league’s best young talent. The Sabres also received a second-round pick in the 2023 draft.