For the first five years, the Vegas Golden Knights were desperately looking for a franchise face. They got off to a wild Stanley Cup Final run in their first season and needed to go further. However, they didn't have a true offensive leader at the helm.
Teams like the Edmonton Oilers, Colorado Avalanche, and Pittsburgh Penguins have centers as the faces of their franchises. Getting the fame and notoriety associated with these teams meant having the focal point. Enter Jack Eichel.
In November 2021, Kelly McCrimmon acquired Jack Eichel from the Buffalo Sabres. Out went Peyton Krebs, Alex Tuch, and some draft picks. The only problem was that he was dealing with injuries, notably with getting an artificial disk for his neck. That's what happens when you're trapped on a middling team that doesn't care about its players.
In comes McCrimmon, who decides on the former Sabre as the redefining star. One season went by and he dealt with injuries. Another went by and it was the same story. The same goes for the season after. Surely, 2024-25 would be different, right?
How Jack Eichel stole the show for the Golden Knights
2024-25 was a banner year for Jack Eichel. The center broke plenty of single-season records for the Golden Knights, including assists (66) and points (94). But he didn't just break these records. He shattered them.
The original single-season points leader was teammate William Karlsson (78 in 2017-18). The original single-season assists leader was David Perron (50, also in 2017-18). Even with extra work from the 4 Nations Face-Off, Eichel still took care of business.
That includes scoring eight goals and 28 assists in the first two months. His November stats stood out, in particular (stats courtesy of ESPN).
Month | Goals | Assists | Power Play Assists | Shots | Shooting Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
October | 3 | 13 | 5 | 26 | 11.5 |
November | 5 | 15 | 6 | 45 | 11.1 |
This catapulted the Massachusetts native to a career season, boosting his AAV for a potential new contract along the way.
How good was Jack Eichel, actually?
Words can't describe how incredible Eichel was this season. He led Vegas to its third Pacific Division title, along with a 110-point season and 50 wins. Of course, things didn't turn out as expected. However, it's a terrific start to a budding Golden Knights career for the former second-overall draft pick.
The only complaint I have here is that he didn't score enough goals. However, scoring 28 goals is still solid when compounded with a franchise-record 66 assists. That's what makes his 2024-25 campaign the best in Golden Knights history. He redefined what it means to be a Golden Knight and became the franchise face that Bill Foley has desperately looked for.
There are plenty of good reasons for Eichel to stick around himself. He's got a supportive front office with a rumored interest in Mitch Marner. He also has a solid supporting cast with him, including Mark Stone (67 points) and Tomas Hertl (32 goals).
That will give Golden Knights fans plenty of confidence in their newfound leader. They'll have faith in a franchise player with 43 career points in 40 postseason games. They'll also believe in him to break more franchise records along the way. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Jack Eichel era in Las Vegas.