Jack Eichel leads the Vegas Golden Knights in points with 24. He's been a steady force for a team that has seen its depth scoring struggle early on. Everything should sound dandy, especially after a blazing October month (eight goals and 11 assists). However, there's a small problem: he only has five assists in November.
He has had no goals and no multi-point games since November 6. That's a small concern for a superstar originally destined to become the Golden Knights' first 100-point player. While that projection still holds strong (109 points, with 36 goals and 73 assists), there have been some worries about the franchise's face.
However, those worries should be put to bed. This is Jack Eichel we're talking about, after all. Most people would do anything to get five assists in a month. It's not easy to set up scoring opportunities on one of the most prolific teams in the NHL, you know.
But being Jack Eichel isn't the only reason why he's due to go off in a big way. Unless there was a Space Jam-type situation where his talents were magically sucked out of him, fans should expect the center to break through and dominate the NHL landscape again. Here are some other reasons why this situation is only temporary.
Why fans should expect a big Jack Eichel game in the upcoming weeks
Golden Knights fans have grown accustomed to hearing Bruce Cusick make the big announcement every time No. 9 scores a goal. It's become a T-Mobile Arena tradition similar to the pre-game shows.
"SCOOOOOOOOORING for your Vegas Golden Knights, No. 9, Jack! EIIIIIIIIIIIIIICHEL!"
It's become tradition for Golden Knights fans to hear this line of dialogue, but it should become more common. Braeden Bowman has done an excellent job of playing like Mark Stone, finding space to operate in the offensive zone. Primarily, this has been done on the power play, where the unit has five goals in its last three games.
Once the Captain returns, Eichel should play like he never left. Stone has a magical tendency of ensuring the franchise face doesn't force too many passes or plays, whether it's on the power play or even strength.
That's not even mentioning that he also has Mitch Marner (four goals and 16 assists) on his team. Eichel can rely on Bowman, Stone (once he returns), and Marner on the power play to get good looks or set up excellent scoring opportunities. Why not ride the gravy train and get in on the fun with a goal or two?
I remember an old line that Aaron Rodgers said when he was with the Green Bay Packers and they were on the cusp of missing the NFL playoffs. It was something along the lines of, "R-E-L-A-X," telling the NFL media to calm down about the Packers. Well, that's also applicable to Jack Eichel since he's a bona fide NHL star. Watch for the former Hobey Baker winner to finally break through and set the NHL world on fire again (you know, because he works great from home).