Jack Eichel finally gets chance to perform on playoff stage

Jack Eichel wouldn’t bite.

The Golden Knights center didn’t take the opportunity to boast April 1 with the first playoff berth of his NHL career in hand. He didn’t claim to feel validated after his trade from the Buffalo Sabres. He didn’t say a weight was off his shoulders. He tried to keep the focus on what the Knights accomplished after missing the postseason for the first time in franchise history a year ago.

“It’s just gratifying for our group,” Eichel said.

There’s no doubt it’s still a meaningful milestone for the second overall pick in 2015. He didn’t make the playoffs in six seasons in Buffalo or his first opportunity with the Knights. Now he’s the leading scorer for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

It’s a change. A welcome one, but one that also comes with pressure to perform.

“You always want to be there and give yourself a chance to win,” Eichel said. “That’s the goal of our group. That’s my goal. I’m just looking forward to continuing to play hockey with these guys and having a chance to win the ultimate prize, right? That’s why you play.”

Desire

Among his many standout traits, Eichel is a fierce competitor.

He burns to win, whether in front of a packed T-Mobile Arena crowd or during a two-on-two drill at a Tuesday practice. It’s one of the reasons he’s almost always one of the last players to leave the ice.

It’s also why so many springs and summers were disappointing for him. Eichel still spoke with regret recently about his 2014-15 Boston University team coming one game short of winning a national title. Not getting a chance to play for a championship in his first seven years in the NHL had to gnaw at him, too.

“It’s always tough,” Eichel said. “You always want to be there.”

One of the questions that dogged the 26-year-old was how much blame he deserved for the Sabres’ futility. He was supposed to be a savior when he arrived in Buffalo after being the best player in college hockey as a freshman. He did do a lot of good things there. He had 355 points in 375 games. He made three All-Star teams. He was named captain.

But one hole remained on his resume. Eichel never got the Sabres to the postseason. He has played the fifth-most games among active players who have yet to appear in the playoffs. He will be the eighth player in NHL history to make his postseason debut after scoring 400-plus points.

Eichel didn’t get much help from the Buffalo organization. He played for four coaches and three general managers in his six seasons. The Sabres still haven’t taken off without him, either. Buffalo’s playoff drought stretched to an NHL record 12 seasons this year.

“You can’t blame a guy for where he was drafted,” said Turner Sports analyst Keith Yandle, who played 16 years in the league as a defenseman. “The teams in Buffalo that he had weren’t great.”

Opportunity

This season has shown that a team with Eichel as its centerpiece can make the postseason.

He received a fresh start this season after a torrid beginning to his Knights’ tenure. He was acquired in November 2021, but didn’t make his debut until February after undergoing artificial disk replacement surgery on his neck. He was the first NHL player to undergo the operation. The novel nature of the procedure, which he wanted to have, led to his exit from Buffalo.

Eichel has since had no issues with his neck. But he still wasn’t fully himself joining the Knights midway through a grueling season. He had 14 goals and 25 points in 34 games, playing through a broken thumb for six weeks to try to get the team into the playoffs.

The Knights fell short for the first time in franchise history. Rather than demoralizing Eichel and the rest of the team, it seemed to light a fire under them.

“We came into the season this year with something to prove,” Eichel said. “I’m sure everyone in here probably wanted to prove something to the league, but we probably wanted to prove something to ourselves and wanted to make a statement that last year was a bit of a fluke.”

Eichel seemed to back that up on the ice more than anyone else.

He had 29 points in the first 26 games while earning constant praise from coach Bruce Cassidy for his defensive work.

He showed why the team was willing to give up right wing Alex Tuch, center Peyton Krebs and a first- and second-round pick to acquire him and a third-round pick.

“He’s one of those players that’s just gifted,” right wing Jonathan Marchessault said. “He can turn it on pretty much whenever he wants. That’s not something I have necessarily in my repertoire.”

Charge

A midseason cold spell seemed to derail Eichel’s momentum.

He missed 13 of 14 games during one stretch in December and early January with a lower-body injury. He wasn’t the same when he came back. He had two goals and five points in 11 games as the Knights limped into the All-Star break on a 3-6-2 skid.

Some time to heal and clear his head — which included a vacation to Hawaii with a group of teammates — rejuvenated him.

Eichel had a team-leading 31 points when play resumed to help the Knights clinch the Pacific Division title and the best record in the Western Conference. His smooth stride, long reach and vision from all areas of the ice kept opponents off balance.

“He feels like he’s got more pop to me,” Cassidy said. “His explosion is there. That six days (during the break) really did him well. It did everyone good mentally, but him a little physically coming off his injuries from the first half.”

The Knights needed that push from Eichel, who finished with 27 goals and 39 assists for 66 points in 67 games.

Captain Mark Stone missed the final 39 games after undergoing his second back surgery in eight months. Left wing William Carrier, tied for fifth on the Knights in goals with 16, was out the final 20.

Eichel did more than contribute on the ice. He came up with the Knights’ postgame tradition of giving a standout player an Elvis wig and glasses, according to Marchessault. He’s become a key figure in the locker room.

“He’s awesome,” center Chandler Stephenson said. “The first week he was here, he opened up right away.”

Test

Eichel has his wish.

He’s in the postseason. Now the scrutiny really starts.

He has passed every test during a resurgent season for himself and the team. But the playoffs are the final exam. Getting in won’t mean much if he and the team fall flat.

Eight seasons into his career, he’s ready for the challenge.

“I’m excited about it,” Eichel said. “It’s something that I’ve waited for for a while.”

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.