The Pacific Division has always been filled with star players, and they just added another top player for the Edmonton Oilers to play against.
The Jack Eichel sweepstakes is over, he is now a member of the Vegas Golden Knights thanks to a trade to get him out of Buffalo as reported by Elliotte Friedman. This move is an instant success for the Edmonton Oilers division rival, the Golden Knights, that add a star player like Eichel, here is what the trade includes:
Vegas Golden Knights received: Jack Eichel and a 2023 third-round pick
Buffalo Sabres received: Peyton Krebs, Alex Tuch, 2022 first-round pick, 2023 third-round pick
The Edmonton Oilers have one of the top stars in the Pacific Division in Connor McDavid, and now they have the player drafted right behind him in the same division. McDavid and Eichel have not faced off a heck of a lot of times so far in their career, but over the next handful of seasons, the two players will see eachother a lot more.
This does not change anything for the Edmonton Oilers this season, but now they have another star player to keep in mind when they face off against the Golden Knights, this rivalry is only going to grow from here.
Eichel is going to finally get the surgery he needs, and then he can get back to focusing on hockey. The situation was really bad for him in Buffalo and I think fans around the league can agree it is great to finally see that situation over.
I cannot help but think about the playoff showdowns that could be coming the next few years. Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby have met many times in the postseason, it is where their rivalry truly shined. Now the Oilers and Golden Knights will have that every season with McDavid and Eichel, the first overall and second overall draft picks from 2015.