The center was traded to the Golden Knights from the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, and though he may not play for another 4-5 months because of disk replacement surgery, he gave Vegas fans a glimpse of how he will look in the black and gold.
Eichel tweeted a photoshopped picture of himself in a Golden Knights jersey with the words, "VEGAS, BABY VEGAS," quoting Vince Vaughn from the 1996 film "Swingers".
The No. 2 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft was sent to Vegas with a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft for forwards Peyton Krebs, Alex Tuch, a top 10 protected first-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
Eichel, who has not played this season and missed the final 33 games last season, has scored 355 points (139 goals, 216 assists) in 375 NHL games.
Appearing on ESPN Thursday afternoon, Eichel did have a message for fans in Buffalo.
"From the minute I got drafted back in 2015, they've opened their arms to me, my family. They've done so much. They supported me, they supported our team through ups and downs; when we've been good, when we haven't been good. I love Buffalo," Eichel said. "It'll always have a special, special place in my heart. It means a lot that I was able to start my career here. I've met some of the most amazing people in this city. I've played with some incredible people but even outside of the game, I've been very fortunate to meet some incredible, incredible people here in Buffalo.
"I can't say enough good things about the fans here. They love hockey. They deserve a winner. I feel bad that I wasn't able to contribute more to winning here. They deserve it all. I really truly care a lot about the fans in Buffalo."
