Eichel_Smith

NHL.com has the fantasy hockey impact of the trade that sent elite center Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights from the Buffalo Sabres. For more coverage, visit NHL.com/Fantasy and subscribe for free to the NHL Fantasy on Ice podcast.

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Fantasy impact of Eichel to Golden Knights
Elite center Jack Eichel has been
acquired by the Vegas Golden Knights from the Buffalo Sabres
on Thursday, giving him renewed upside in all fantasy formats.
Eichel has not played a game this season and is still dealing with a neck injury. Although he will likely not play for multiple months, he will join one of the best teams in the NHL upon his eventual return, making him a coveted player to stash in season-long leagues and top 10 overall option again in keeper and dynasty formats. Vegas, among the final four teams in three of its first four seasons, boosts its chances of winning the Stanley Cup.
INJURY UPDATE: Eichel had disk replacement surgery on his neck Nov. 12. It is unknown when he will be able to make his debut for the Golden Knights, but he said before the surgery that he hopes to return to play in three months.

Jensen and Reese on the fantasy impact of Eichel

When Eichel eventually suits up for the Golden Knights, they offer him highest fantasy ceiling and most bounce-back appeal with him likely to play on the top line with elite wings Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone, who are currently each out week to week with injuries. Eichel scored close to a point per game (355 points in 375 games) with the Sabres but has not reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs through his first six seasons.
The trio of Pacioretty, Eichel and Stone, when they all return from injuries, could become the most valuable fantasy line in the NHL. With Vegas now having a bona fide No. 1 center in Eichel, he, Stone and Pacioretty should be considered top 20-25 overall fantasy players once they all return from injuries.

Other players who gain long-term value from the Eichel trade include starting goalie Robin Lehner, defensemen Alex Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore, making each a buy-low trade targets in fantasy. Although Vegas loses some scoring depth in the trade, it gives them a much-needed finisher in Eichel, who scored an NHL career-high 36 goals in 68 games during the 2019-20 season and has a 10.5 shooting percentage in his career.
Fantasy impact of Eichel trade on Sabres
The Sabres have acquired fantasy-relevant forwards Alex Tuch and rookie Peyton Krebs in the trade for Eichel, slightly boosting their forward depth compared to when Eichel was out.
Buffalo is 5-3-1 through its first nine games, arguably the most-surprising team in the NHL this season and now could be more likely to sustain its strong start after a resolution to the Eichel situation. Eichel (last game for Buffalo: March 7) never played a game under coach Don Granato, who was named coach March 17 during last season and is 14-19-4 in his first 37 games.
The Sabres have not gained much fantasy appeal in keeper and dynasty leagues from the trade because they did not acquire an elite player in the trade return for Eichel. Tuch, who had offseason shoulder surgery and is on injured reserve, is the biggest potential fantasy beneficiary of the trade to the Sabres with a chance to become their most valuable skater upon returning.
Tuch, who scored NHL career highs in goals (20) and points (52) for Vegas in 74 games during the 2018-19 season, also covers hits (306 in 255 games; 1.2 per game) and is worth stashing in standard and long-term leagues ahead of his hopeful return in the second half.
Krebs has a chance to compete with Casey Mittelstadt (currently out with upper-body injury) to be Buffalo's No. 1 center of the future after Eichel's departure. Fantasy managers should take a wait-and-see approach before adding Krebs, who's starting with Rochester of the American Hockey League, in anything other than a keeper or dynasty format.
That said, Krebs joins an underrated prospect pool for Buffalo with fellow 21-and-under players in defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power (playing at University of Michigan this season), forwards Dylan Cozens, Jack Quinn, JJ Peterka and other young talent in Mittelstadt, forward Rasmus Asplund and goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.