Kukla's Korner Hockey

Kukla's Korner Hockey

Jack Eichel's Night

03/11/2022 at 8:42am EST

from Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News,

When Jack Eichel was traded to Vegas in November, he had to immediately be thinking Stanley Cup. In the madness of March, Eichel and the Golden Knights better have a completely different thought.

They're no sure thing to even make the playoffs. The Sabres fans who crushed Eichel with boos Thursday night in KeyBank Center will be rooting for his new team to lose the rest of the way out of spite – but it could actually help the Buffalo rebuild, too.

The first postseason miss in Vegas franchise history would sure be one delicious bit of irony in the eyes of Buffalo fans, and don't forget about how that would impact the Sabres come summer at the NHL draft. The Sabres own Vegas' first-round pick, and the Golden Knights missing the playoffs could land the Buffalo pick in the Nos. 10-15 range, when you were reasonably thinking Nos. 25-32 the day the trade was made.

(It should be noted the pick is Top-10 protected, something you never thought would be relevant in November. The Sabres would have to wait until 2023 to make the pick if Vegas lands in the top 10).

The atmosphere in Thursday's return game was toxic from the second Eichel took the ice for warmup.

continued

Below catch the game highlights and Eichel post-game.

Highlights

Eichel

Create an Account

In order to leave a comment, please create an account.

About Kukla's Korner Hockey

Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.

From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.

Email Paul anytime at [email protected]

Most Recent Posts

Most Recent Comments

Comment by bezukov in Abel to Yzerman from the entry Mathematically… - 8 seconds ago
Comment by rwbill in Abel to Yzerman from the entry Mathematically… - 19 seconds ago
Comment by rwbill in Abel to Yzerman from the entry Mathematically… - 1 minute ago
Comment by calquake in Abel to Yzerman from the entry Mathematically… - 1 minute ago
Comment by Kate in Abel to Yzerman from the entry Mathematically… - 2 minutes ago