Vegas Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon announced on Monday that Jack Eichel will make both his team and season debut this Wednesday against the Colorado Avalanche.
The 25-year-old Eichel was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres back in November and underwent a neck procedure shortly afterwards. Though the surgery was viewed by some as risky, he appears to have made a full recovery.
“It’s been a long wait but well worth it and we’re excited to bring Jack back on Wednesday night,” McCrimmon said.
Prior to his injury, which limited him to just 21 games in 2020-21, Eichel was viewed as an elite centerman in the NHL. He recently said that he felt he was only scratching the surface of his potential, which has Golden Knights fans very excited for what’s to come. The second overall pick from the 2015 NHL Entry Draft has 139 goals and 355 points in 375 career games.
In order to make room for Eichel, the Golden Knights announced that Mark Stone has been placed on long-term injured reserve with a lingering back injury. It was reported late last week this could happen, as Stone has apparently been dealing with this injury all season long. If he remains out until the postseason, it is possible the Golden Knights will not need to make any trades in order to stay below the maximum salary cap.
Eichel will be thrown into what figures to be a fast-paced debut on Wednesday, as the Avalanche are arguably the best team in the entire NHL. Through 46 games, they own a 34-8-4 record and just welcomed back a superstar of their own in Nathan MacKinnon. This game should be a great battle between two of the Western Conferences elite teams.
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