It’s been a little more than three years since the Buffalo Sabres sent forward Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Sabres sent Eichel and a 2023 third-round pick to Vegas for Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, a 2022 first-round pick, and a 2023 second-round pick.
But to this day, Eichel, who scored and had an assist in a 3-1 victory against the Sabres on Saturday, still gets excited about playing his former team.
“There’s always an emotional aspect,” Eichel said “I think any guy who’s played somewhere and moved on to another situation and whenever you play against your former team, you always want to have a good game. You’ve seen it during the course of the season, whether, you know, we’re playing San Jose, and it’s [Tomáš Hertl] or [Mark Stone] playing Ottawa. You can go down the list. So, it’s the same for me. It was good for us to get the win.”
Eichel has seven points (five goals, two assists) in four career games against the Sabres. His success with the Golden Knights has been notable. He lifted the Stanley Cup in 2023, where he was a vital part of the team’s run.
This season, Eichel is having a career year. He has 11 goals and 41 assists and is in the conversation as a potential Hart Trophy finalist.
Meanwhile, the Sabres haven’t been to the playoffs in more than 5,000 days and seem destined for a more extended rebuild.
Paul Delos Santos is the Las Vegas sports insider for Dice City Sports. Follow him on X at @PaulDelos_.
