When Jack Eichel was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres nearly four years ago, people were skeptical about how he'd do with the Vegas Golden Knights. Some were concerned with his spinal issues and other injuries.
"He's not even going to be on the ice that much."
Some took it one step further and said he was a bad teammate.
"EiChEl Is A lOcKeR rOoM cAnCeR!"
But the former 2015 second-overall pick is playing like he's the best in the league. He scored a hat trick on Tuesday in a decisive 5-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild. He also has five goals and five assists in his last four games, capping off an electric March (seven goals and 13 assists). 100 points, here he comes!
Mind you, he has a Stanley Cup and is looking for a second title. That man is also sitting pretty in first place in the Pacific Division. Life's good. As for his ex? Well... For the average Sabres fan, they're saying something like this:
Yeah, 14 years of mediocrity will do that to a sports fan. Imagine rooting for the Sabres AND the New York Jets. Now that's a prison sentence of sports fandom.
But enough about last-place teams in the Atlantic Division! They can't unleash their players' true potential like Eichel has with the Golden Knights. Instead, let's look at the center and where he stands in the Hart Trophy rankings.
This time, we're looking at NHL.com since they have a "Trophy Tracker." Sounds fancy, doesn't it? Anyway, here's where Las Vegas's hockey hero stands in the latest rankings.
Jack Eichel received two points in NHL.com's "Trophy Tracker" rankings
Let's be honest. Nathan MacKinnon is likely destined for back-to-back Hart Trophy victories. The Colorado Avalanche center has 29 goals and 78 assists (NHL-best) this season, leading the Avalanche to another Stanley Cup playoff berth. That's a total of 107 points, also sitting atop the NHL leaderboard. It's no wonder he leads the voting totals with 71.
However, Jack Eichel does deserve more love. Getting only two points and sitting behind names like Zach Werenski and David Pastrnak is criminal. I mean, are either of those players second in the NHL in power play assists (29)? What about blocking 49 shots entering Wednesday? I bet you none of those guys are doing these things.
Consider this as well. The Vegas Golden Knights are fighting for the Pacific Division. The Columbus Blue Jackets and Boston Bruins are outside of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Even with those two on their respective teams, their dynamic doesn't change much. Their power plays will change a bit. But they won't change as much as missing Jack Eichel would for the Golden Knights.
That's why Eichel needs more love in the Hart Trophy rankings. Sure, he's not having an electric season like MacKinnon or Draisaitl. However, he means a lot to his team, especially since he's miles ahead in the points column. What happens if he continues his blistering hot streak to season's end? You can't brush him aside after that effort.
You're not seeing Mark Stone or Pavel Dorofeyev (yet) get close to the 100-point marker. Therefore, let's spread that love to the North Chelmsford native and give him some votes, shall we? Nobody wants a repeat of the last rankings, you know.