Jack Eichel, Golden Knights prepare to face Panthers in Stanley Cup Final

Stanley Cup Final Preview w/ Matthew Tkachuk & Jack Eichel | SportsCenter

Jack Eichel’s playoff performance has propelled the Vegas Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final as they prepare to kick off the series against the Florida Panthers on Saturday. This final showdown marks a milestone in Eichel’s career as he embraces his first postseason journey after eight years in the NHL.

“It’s where you want to be as a player and (it’s) been taking a few years for me to get here,” he said. “It’s been a great experience. It’s been a lot of fun sharing with the guys in the room, the emotions, winning and moving on.”

Golden Knights’ top scorer this season

Eichel emerged as the leading scorer for the Golden Knights this season, amassing 66 points. His goal tally of 27 trailed behind forward Jonathan Marchessault – who earned just one point more.

Known for his solid two-way play, Eichel carried his impressive performance into the playoffs. Despite not finding the net in the Western Conference Final against Dallas Stars, Eichel’s 18 points place him tied for fourth in postseason scoring. However, he significantly impacted in the earlier rounds, netting six goals.

Even in the face of the Stars’ defense, Eichel’s backhand pass with just 2:22 remaining in regulation during Game 2 led to an overtime-forcing goal. The recipient of that pass was Marchessault, who acknowledged Eichel’s exceptional talent.

“He’s a gifted player, so you just want to get open when he has the puck,” Marchessault said. “I do that pretty well, too, so we’ve built the connection the past few months.”

Their next opponent in the Stanley Cup Final also acknowledged Eichel’s abilities. Panthers’ current center and one of Eichel’s former Buffalo Sabres teammates Sam Reinhart said, “He’s such a competitor. He works as hard as anybody on the scene.”

Unsatisfactory experience with Sabres

The opportunity to participate in meaningful games was a significant factor that drew Eichel to join the Golden Knights, as he didn’t have that chance with the Sabres, who selected him second overall in the 2015 draft after Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid.

However, the main cause of tension arose from the disagreement between Eichel and the Sabres regarding the treatment of his neck injury. Eichel, who had his captaincy stripped by the Sabres in September 2021 due to failing a physical, wanted a procedure that had never been undergone by an NHL player.

In November of that same year, the Golden Knights stepped forward and were prepared to fulfill his request, acquiring Eichel through a trade. Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon said their motivation for the trade was “to acquire a No. 1 center”.

“One of the things that our scouts really felt strongly about when we acquired Jack that was almost a little bit underappreciated was his competitiveness, and we’ve really seen that,” McCrimmon said. “His physical strength and his competitiveness have really been on display in the playoffs.”

McCrimmon further added that his team tend to scout “real good people.”

“Jack was a young captain in Buffalo. Jack gets here in a room full of really, really good leaders,” McCrimmon said. “It’s not that we are targeting captains, but we do target real good people, some of whom have been captains.”

Cassidy praises Eichel

Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy highlighted the seamless compatibility between Eichel’s playing style and the team’s other centers. Regarding Eichel’s performance in the Dallas series, Cassidy praised the 26-year-old.

“Speaking of Jack, I think he was very good in the Dallas series. He had a lot of good looks. Hit a post or two. He’s still making plays all over the ice. Just didn’t finish.”

There is optimism that Eichel might find his scoring touch against the Panthers, potentially positioning himself as a contender for the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the playoffs MVP. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, Eichel is currently the third-favorite for the award and the most likely player from the Golden Knights to win it this season.