Alex Tuch thrilled to be a key piece in the Eichel trade

While it's probably safe to suggest that many players in the Vegas Golden Knights locker room wouldn't be too thrilled about being shipped out to Buffalo and go from being on a perennial contender to a Sabres franchise that, try as they might, have been unable to make their way out of the league's basement for quite some time.

Alex Tuch stands out in that regard, as he has not only declared his excitement to join a Sabres team that he cheered on as a kid growing up in New York, near Syracuse - he also revealed that he intends to be a Sabre for as long as possible.

On Monday, The Athletic's John Vogl asked Tuch about a recent conversation that he had with his new GM, Kevyn Adams and what was discussed. Adams mainly wanted to highlight the tremendous opportunity that Tuch has to be a real impact player for the organization. On Tuch's end, it was all about how excited he was to be able to live out his boyhood dream of being a Buffalo Sabre.

Tuch isn't just thrilled about the prospect of playing close to home - he's also celebrating the fact that the Sabres considered him as one of the key pieces coming back in the Eichel deal.

«It was an honor just to be traded for a guy like Jack Eichel,» Tuch said. «I know it wasn't one for one, but to be a part of that trade and just to have someone that really wants you in their organization means a lot.»

The other key piece in the trade was prospect Peyton Krebs, who also met with Adams and took pride in knowing that the plan is to build something special in Buffalo and that the future is very bright for the organization.

«[Kevyn's] message to me is just we've got a long ways to go and this trade isn't going to dictate our 'right now,' but in the future, I think it's going to be really exciting,» Krebs said of his conversation with Adams. «It's an awesome opportunity.»

Hopefully both Tuch and Krebs can grab the opportunity and run with it. The latest Sabres rebuild is off to a pretty decent start with Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Dylan Cozens, Peyton Krebs and Alex Tuch in the fold. They're also poised to add at least one or two more quality prospects at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft in the summer.

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