Jack Eichel received a pleasant surprise on Monday. The Vegas Golden Knights superstar earned third-star honors from the NHL, joining Utah's Dylan Guenther (first star) and Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck (second star). Eichel has done well for himself in the first three games, tallying an NHL-best seven points. He's prospered with Mark Stone joining him on the top line, leading Vegas to a 3-0-0 start.
Dylan Guenther (@utahhockeyclub), Connor Hellebuyck (@NHLJets) and Jack Eichel (@GoldenKnights) have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” presented by GEICO for the week ending Oct. 13.#NHLStats: https://t.co/WldY9V8A9R pic.twitter.com/VmAbVNl3TE
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) October 14, 2024
Eichel isn't the only Golden Knights star in the top five in points. In fact, he's not the only top line member. Ivan Barbashev (six points) and Stone (six points) share the second spot. They're joined by players such as Utah's Clayton Keller, St. Louis's Jordan Kyrou, and Winnipeg's Mark Scheifele.
As for Guenther, he helped the Utah Hockey Club get off to a 3-1-0 start, scoring five goals (best in the NHL). The right winger has acted as a good complimentary piece to Keller, showing similarities to the Golden Knights's first unit. Hellebuyck is doing his thing with the Jets, posting a GAA of 0.66 (second-best) and a save percentage of .976 (fourth-best). That's put Winnipeg in a first-place tie with the Dallas Stars in the Central Division.
But let's get back to Vegas's star forward for a second. The team has plenty of reasons to give him a solid deal, especially if he continues his incredible run. Unless he gets a contract extension, Eichel will be a free agent after the 2025-26 season. The center has anchored the first line for the Golden Knights, leading them to the franchise's first Stanley Cup.
Enjoy the ride, Vegas Golden Knights fans
Fans will remember when the Vegas Golden Knights suffered a wave of debilitating injuries last season. Jack Eichel dealt with a lower-back injury while Mark Stone suffered from a... lacerated spleen. Yes, that's a freak injury if you ever saw one. However, such unfortunate events prevented the Golden Knights from repeating as Stanley Cup champions, for the Dallas Stars ousted them.
Of course, you can't change the health aspect of hockey because, well, you don't know when it'll happen. However, having Eichel stay for or close to an entire 82-game season will prove fruitful for the Golden Knights. That also goes for other key pieces, including the Captain and Shea Theodore. Having these stars around will help Vegas surprise some people.
As for now? Let's enjoy the ride. Fans know there will be some rough stretches coming. It's part of being an NHL fan and rooting for your favorite team. However, it's about the here and now, where it's the four-time All-Star's time to shine. Eichel, Stone, and Barbashev are ready to contend for another Stanley Cup, putting up awe-inspiring plays and scoring opportunities along the way.