The Vegas Golden Knights The Vegas Golden Knights’ Jack Eichel Jack
Due to an unspecified injury, center Jack Eichel of the Vegas Golden Knights will miss Saturday’s game against the Calgary Flames.
The 27-year-old Eichel underwent tests and was reported as sore earlier on Saturday by Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy. According to the update they received today, Eichel will be out for a while. Although he didn’t play for roughly 14 minutes in the second period, Eichel finished Thursday’s 2-1 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins and even contributed to the game’s winning overtime. It is unknown what caused the injury.
With 19 goals and 25 assists for 44 points in 42 games this season, Eichel’s success can be largely attributed to his desire, up until this recent injury, to have a healthy season. At his current rate, the 82-game season would see him finish with 85 points, a career high for the native of North Chelmsford, Massachusetts.
Even though it wasn’t anticipated when he was drafted that Eichel would post huge scoring totals, he has developed into one of the league’s best defensive centers. His 0.156 defensive goals above replacement per 60 minutes since the beginning of the 2020–21 season ranks him 20th in the league among forwards with at least 3,000 minutes of ice time.
In the 2015 NHL Draft, Eichel was previously selected by the Buffalo Sabres with the second overall pick. He played for the Sabres for six seasons before he requested a trade that ultimately sent him to the Golden Knights due to a disagreement with the team regarding a surgery. Currently in his third season in Vegas, he took home the Stanley Cup during his rookie postseason in 2023.
As the first player in the salary cap era to win a Stanley Cup with a cap hit of $10+ million, Eichel is currently in the sixth year of an eight-year contract.
