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The Jack Eichel era in Buffalo ended when the former face of the franchise was traded to Vegas.Jeffrey T. Barnes/The Associated Press

Vegas Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said Monday that Jack Eichel will make his team debut Wednesday at home against the Colorado Avalanche.

The Golden Knights acquired Eichel from Buffalo in November after a dispute between the Sabres and the star forward over the player’s neck injury ran its course. The Sabres did not want Eichel to pursue an artificial disk surgery to repair his herniated disk, the former No. 2 overall pick’s preferred treatment method.

Vegas landed Eichel and a 2023 third-round draft pick in exchange for forwards Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs, a top-10 protected 2022 first-rounder and a 2023 second-rounder.

Eichel then underwent the surgery in early November, the first NHL player ever to undergo an artificial disk replacement. He returned to practice Jan. 11 and will play his first game of the season roughly three months after his procedure, ahead of an estimated timeline coach Peter DeBoer had given last month.

“It’s been a long wait but well worth it and we’re excited to bring Jack back on Wednesday night,” McCrimmon said Monday.

Eichel, 25, has totalled 355 points (139 goals, 216 assists) in 375 career games spanning six seasons in Buffalo. The centre only played in 21 games in 2020-21 due to his injury.

The Golden Knights’ game against the Avalanche pits the leaders of the Pacific Division and Central Division against one another, a budding Western Conference rivalry. It will be nationally televised on TNT.

Also Monday, the Golden Knights moved captain Mark Stone to long-term injured reserve. The forward has been coping with a back injury while tallying 28 points (eight goals, 20 assists) in 28 games.

The move in part helps create cap space for the Golden Knights to activate Eichel, but it also means Stone must miss a minimum of 10 games and 24 days.

Golden Knights No. 1 goalie Robin Lehner is also out with an upper-body injury, the team said.

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