Is it Time to Buy Low on the Vegas Golden Knights?

Will a big addition coming to the Vegas Golden Knights lineup lead them to the franchise's first-ever Stanley Cup? We break it all down below and tell you how to take advantage of it in the Stanley Cup futures market.

The biggest trade of the NHL season could be finally paying off for the Golden Knights.

On Nov. 4, the Buffalo Sabres traded center Jack Eichel and a conditional draft pick to Vegas for a package of Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, and two conditional picks. He hasn't played since March 7, 2021, and after a protracted saga with the Sabres regarding his preference for artificial disk replacement surgery demanded a trade. He suited up for Golden Knights practice on Tuesday, Jan. 11, signaling that perhaps a return to game action is getting close.

https://twitter.com/GoldenKnights/status/1480968744545390593

We look into whether it's worth it to put some money down on the Vegas Golden Knights' Stanley Cup odds.

What To Expect From Eichel

Before his injury, Eichel was undoubtedly one of the top players in the NHL.

In his three near-full seasons before his injury, Eichel ranked 20th in individual points in all situations, according to Natural Stat Trick. That's despite playing on a Sabres team that ranked 29th in point percentage and goals for percentage over that same stretch. He was a volume shooter as well, putting 776 pucks on net which ranked 10th over the same time span. He was the straw that stirred the drink on a terrible team that failed to make the playoffs during his tenure there after being the second pick of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

There are two major questions surrounding Eichel's return. First, the amount of time he has missed. It was a lot of time spent away from the ice, waiting for his injury dispute with the Sabres to resolve itself.

Second, the surgery he had still has some concerns surrounding it. The artificial disk replacement surgery Eichel went through had never been attempted on an active pro hockey player. Eichel's camp thought it was the best course of action for him, while the Sabres thought it was too risky and refused to let him have the procedure. That was the main rift between the two sides and Eichel only went under the knife once he was traded to Vegas.

While all signs seem to show Eichel having no complications so far, it is still an unproven surgery. If he makes a full recovery, then Vegas has a top-line center that can drive play. If not, they are on the hook for his $10 million cap hit through the 2025-26 season.

The Current Situation

Vegas is currently first in the Pacific Division, and third in the Western Conference. They will almost certainly make the playoffs and even possibly win the Pacific Division. But finishing atop the Western Conference is a whole other question. The St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, and Minnesota Wild all have enough games in hand that they could easily surpass Vegas.

There are also injury concerns for Vegas. Winger Max Pacioretty was recently put on injured reserve due to a wrist injury. He could be back sometime in March, but the team's current salary cap situation won't allow them to have both Pacioretty and Eichel on the ice at the same time.

A more likely situation is Vegas attempts to do what the Tampa Bay Lightning did last season. There is no salary cap in the playoffs, so the Golden Knights could simply hold out Pacioretty until the playoffs start in late April. There is no way to play both of them at the same time unless they dump some salary before the trade deadline. Doing that, however, might jeopardize their chances at a playoff spot.

Where To Bet on the Vegas Golden Knights

Fully healthy, the Golden Knights have to be considered a Stanley Cup favorite. Thus, it's a good idea to bet on them before they get there, especially with two top forwards out of the lineup.

DraftKings Sportsbook has a price of +800 for Vegas to win the Stanley Cup. That is a great price given everything highlighted above. If Eichel gets back to his old self, I can see those odds shrinking dramatically, especially when we get into May.

If you're a bit more risk-averse, FanDuel Sportsbook has Vegas to win the Western Conference at a market-best price of +350.

2021-22 Stanley Cup Odds

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