3 reasons why Jack Eichel deserves to be Captain for Team USA more than Auston Matthews

Fans of United States hockey were treated to an interesting news bit on Super Bowl Sunday. They heard about who the next Captain of the men's hockey team was and it raised some hairs on their necks. Who's the man that's the Captain? None other than Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews.

On the surface, that would seem like a logical choice. The former first overall pick has 427 goals and 348 assists in his 10-year career. He would seem like a logical choice to take on the leadership mantle. But wait, you're telling me that there's another option for this distinguished honor? Is Matthews really worthy?

Well, there's this Vegas Golden Knights star named Jack Eichel who deserves consideration. For starters, Matthews is only averaging 0.94 points per game this season. That's actually worse than his former "Core Four" teammate, Mitch Marner, who has... 1.02 points per game this season. Oh, how cruel can irony be?

That leaves us with Eichel, who's averaging 1.36 points per game. If you ask me, that's one reason why the Golden Knights center should be given the Captain America(ish) honors. But there are also three other reasons why the Massachusetts native deserves that honor more than Matthews.

1.) Jack Eichel performs better in the clutch

I'm going to present you with two players during their Stanley Cup playoff careers. I want you to guess which one's which and see if you get the correct answer. Are you ready, dear reader?

Did you take a wild guess? If you guessed that Player A was Jack Eichel and Player B was Auston Matthews, you are absolutely correct.

Of course, there are some factors to consider. One, Matthews has 26 goals, compared to Eichel's ten. However, that comes with the caveat of Eichel playing 28 fewer playoff games. You see, the city of Buffalo hasn't had that postseason feeling in a long time, leaving fans feeling a little... blue.

But it also brings up a major point. How is Eichel gaining as many assists as Matthews in fewer games? Why, that's where we look at the ol' "points per game" category, where the Golden Knights star has him beat. When you want to win in the postseason or any big tournament, you always want a reliable center (i.e., a Nathan MacKinnon) to lead the way.

That's certainly the case for Eichel, who's done exceptional work in getting Vegas a Stanley Cup. Speaking of which...

2.) Eichel has something that Matthews doesn't: a Stanley Cup

Look, I know that there's the whole "hockey is a team sport" thing and you need more than a couple of world-beating guys on your team. That's why you have teams like the Edmonton Oilers that end up just short of that vaunted Stanley Cup goal.

However, it still rings true for the Golden Knights megastar. Matthews has never had more than 11 points in a single postseason. Of course, that comes with having a more complete unit surrounding you. But the point still stands, especially when you can't escape the second round, at best.

As for Eichel? Well, he already has as many double-digit points campaigns in his career as Matthews. That included the 2023 season where he won the Stanley Cup. His total? Six goals and 20 assists.

3.) Eichel has a defining moment this season—that involved Auston Matthews

Let's go back a month ago to when the Vegas Golden Knights and the Toronto Maple Leafs were battling in overtime. Shea Theodore and Mark Stone are on a two-on-one rush, where the Misfit passes to the Captain. Stone waits behind the net for Eichel, who was trailing him the entire time. As soon as Eichel crashed near the slot, this happened.

And where was Matthews during the whole time? He was the last player to enter that zone, giving the Golden Knights an extra point. In those situations, you want your leader to be hustling down the ice like it's a life-or-death situation.

Who was the man who rushed down to his offensive zone? Who was the man who was lagging behind? I'll let you be the judge on that one.