By Conor Thompson
After months of rumors and drama the trade has finally happened. The Sabres traded former captain Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights for Peyton Krebs, Alex Tuch, and two draft picks. Many were questioning Jack Eichels future with the Sabres last year as the Sabres had a disastrous campaign. But those questions became answers when Eichel wished to be the first NHL player to have an particular neck surgery. However, Sabres management disagreed with Eichels demands and wouldn't allow the surgery.
The surgery situation was the nail in the coffin when it came to Eichels tenure with the Buffalo Sabres, with Eichel even being stripped of his captaincy before the season. The real question everyone is debating is who won the trade. The quick answer is time will tell. The Vegas Golden Knights did what’s expected in Las Vegas and took a gamble on Eichel if he will be the same player as before. As for the Sabres, they added to their arsenal of top picks in future drafts and added two top 6 forwards. Alex Tuch is an upstate NY native and said playing for the Sabres is a dream come true which is exactly what General Manager Kevyn Adams is looking for, guys who want to be here.
To start the 2021-2022 campaign Buffalo has surprised many. With a record of 5-4-1 the Sabres have a new identity under Head Coach Don Granato. Instead of a defensive minded team the Sabres are now an attacking team. The goaltending, which many called the worst goaltending tandem in the past decade, has been phenomenal. 40 year old veteran Craig Anderson has been great alongside with journeymen Dustin Tokarski. Has there been defensive breakdowns, absolutely, have the forwards tried to do too much and caused turnovers, of course. But this team for the first time in awhile is exciting to watch. Change is finally happening in Buffalo and Buffaloians are excited to see it.
