‘Pretty obvious’ skill: How Knights star became one of NHL’s best passers

Jack Eichel was taught growing up in North Chelmsford, Massachusetts, that his first priority should be to pass the puck.

Be unselfish. Set up your teammates, Eichel’s youth hockey coaches would tell him. It’s better to get assists than goals.

As Eichel has gotten older, he understands it’s important to score. But it’s just as important to set up his teammates. That’s why the Golden Knights center is one of two NHL skaters, along with Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, with at least 30 assists this season.

“As a centerman, I find my role (is) to carry the puck and distribute it,” said Eichel, who entered Tuesday with 30 assists to MacKinnon’s 32. “I just find the way some things are set up, whether it be our power play or the guys I’m playing with, I find myself trying to distribute the puck.”

Being an elite passer isn’t anything new to Eichel. He has 333 assists in 567 career games, including a career-high 54 in 2018-19 with the Buffalo Sabres. He’s on pace for 87 this year, far more than the Knights record of 50 set by right wing David Perron in 2017-18.

“I think as an offensive player, I think we all take pride in producing points and helping our teams score goals, however that might be, whether it be by scoring goals or setting people up,” Eichel said. “For me, I think it’s just the style of my game and where I’ve evolved to.”

A passer’s DNA

A lot of different components need to come together to make an elite passer.

The player has to have outstanding vision to find their teammates in the neutral or offensive zone. Eichel has it.

“He sees the ice really well, but he makes plays in stride a lot of times,” said captain Mark Stone, one of Eichel’s linemates. “I think when you look at him, he makes most of his best plays when he’s moving his feet and getting out of traffic.”

It also helps to be able to hold onto the puck in order to create time and space. A center giving his linemates that extra half second, or even second, to find open ice can make all the difference.

Eichel has the ability to do it. He uses his 6-foot-2 frame and longer stick to shield the puck from defenders, who almost never can take it off of him.

“The way he holds the puck,” said left wing Ivan Barbashev, Eichel’s other linemate, on what stands out about his center. “He loves to play with the puck.”

Eichel’s shot is enough of a weapon that defenses have to respect it as well. Opponents can’t sag off him out of fear he will rifle a shot into the net.

All those qualities have elevated Eichel into one of the NHL’s best playmakers. He’s a huge reason why Barbashev leads the Knights with 13 goals, and Stone has 22 points in 14 games.

“I think Jack would shoot more if (they weren’t going),” coach Bruce Cassidy said. “If he figured they didn’t score, he’d shoot more. Right now, he knows they’re getting open and available.”

Passing is something Eichel has always worked at, especially in the summer. He even watches video to dissect that part of his game.

“You’d be surprised how much video or how many times you see during the game that somebody’s open but the player is just not able to get them the puck,” Eichel said. “I think that’s something I worked really hard on, and that’s see the guy and make the play.”

Eichel’s skill and smarts put him in the upper echelon of NHL’s centers. His ability to create time and space is only rivaled by the likes of MacKinnon or Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid.

“It’s a skill of his that is pretty obvious, but it makes it a lot easier to make passes when you have time and space,” Stone said. “Not very many guys in the league can create that on their own, but he can.”

More confident

There’s no “secret sauce,” as Eichel calls it, as to why he’s having the start that he is.

Part of it is health. Eichel yet to miss a game this season. He missed 19 games last year after a lower-body surgery, but he still managed to put up 68 points in 63 games.

Eichel was on pace for a career season before his surgery with 44 points in 42 games.

“Once I got here and we won the Cup (in 2023), his confidence went up,” Barbashev said. “Last year, he had a good season, but he came back in good shape and came in this year on a different level. He’s a guy that gets better every single day.”

Part of that may be attributed to Eichel’s hunger for another the Stanley Cup. The Knights are off to a great start with a four-point cushion atop the Pacific Division entering Tuesday.

Eichel has been at the forefront of building that lead. He and Barbashev carried the Knights’ offense when Stone was out.

With Stone back, the team may have the best top line in the NHL. The trio has great chemistry, as Stone and Barbashev know when to get the puck to Eichel and just get out of the way.

They also know there’s a good chance he’ll give the puck right back to them.

“They read the game really well,” Eichel said. “For me, being able to read off them and having played with them for a bit now, I think they understand my tendencies and vice-versa. Part of it is just understanding your linemates and having some chemistry with them.”

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.