(Las Vegas) Jack Eichel has settled down in Las Vegas hoping to get back on the ice and make the NHL playoffs.
Posted at 7:14 p.m.
Eichel still hasn’t managed to take part in the big spring dance since the start of his seven-year career on the Bettman circuit, but the Golden Knights could still mathematically achieve it as the last week of the regular season dawns.
That being said, Eichel probably wouldn’t have come this close if the Golden Knights hadn’t completed a trade with the Buffalo Sabers in November.
Three months after becoming the first NHL player to undergo disc replacement surgery and 11 months after his last game, Eichel was once again able to show the breadth of his talent by collecting 21 points (12 goals, nine assists) in 31 games. He also ranks third in scoring on his team.
Eichel’s return also allowed him to be the Golden Knights’ candidate for the Bill-Masterton Trophy, which is awarded annually to the player “who has demonstrated the most quality of perseverance and team spirit”. .
“It was quick; three months after the operation I was already back to the game, said Eichel. However, when you undergo surgery of this magnitude, I think it takes more than a few months to recover, to become the person you were before. »
This view could also be shared by his new teammates, Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty, who have been away for long periods. In fact, injuries have decimated the Golden Knights this season, and now they need to win their last three games, and get a little boost from their rivals the Dallas Stars, Nashville Predators and Los Angeles Kings.
Besides his high-profile row with the Sabers organization over neck surgery, Eichel was ready to move on from his time with a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2010-11 season. And the prospect that he could now miss the playoffs with the Golden Knights could overshadow his greatest accomplishment — returning to the game successfully with a prosthesis inserted in his neck.
“Every year the goal is to win the Stanley Cup,” Eichel said. You can’t win the Stanley Cup if you don’t make the playoffs. When I arrived here, there was no other goal than to win the Stanley Cup. And that’s still our goal. Obviously, we are aware of the current situation, of our place in the standings.
“We would have preferred not to have to fight for our survival, because we believe that we have a team that can win the Stanley Cup every year. But if I take a step back and remember where I was at the same time a year ago, then I think there are a lot of good things to take away from this stay (in Las Vegas) . I’ve been through a lot since last year,” he concluded.