Jack Eichel, Hart Trophy candidate? Here's why he is playing better than ever

The Vegas Golden Knights are in a familiar spot, atop the Pacific Division standings with one of the best records in the NHL , and no one has played a bigger role than Jack Eichel .

Eichel is Vegas most important player in every situation, playing the best hockey of his life in his 10th NHL season.

Hes been great defensively, checking against the oppositions best scorers on a nightly basis.

Hes been great offensively, fueling one of the highest-scoring lines in the league when Vegas has a fully healthy lineup, and helping role players exceed expectations when it doesnt.

Hes also the focal point of both special teams.

Advertisement So far this year, Eichel has been everything for Vegas.

Hes on pace to have the best season by any player in franchise history, and for really the first time in his career, Eichel is garnering attention for the Hart Trophy.

He currently has the fifth-best odds to win the award at 18-1, and even that may not be giving Eichel the amount of credit he deserves.

The 28-year-old from North Chelmsford, Mass., has been dominant.

With 42 points through 31 games (1.35 per game), Eichel is on pace to shatter his career high of 82 points in a season.

His 33 assists were second-most in the NHL entering Monday, four behind Colorado s Nathan MacKinnon .

Eichels torrid pace is even more impressive when you consider its not the result of a hot shooting streak.

In fact, Eichels shooting percentage of 10.1 is actually below his career average, suggesting hes due for some pucks to go in.

If that happens, look out.

Hes already on pace for 111 points, and with his most talented linemate Mark Stone just returning from a lengthy injury, Eichel could go even higher.

The aspect of Eichels game that stands out most on a nightly basis is the way he skates and carries the puck through the neutral zone.

He uses a deceptively powerful stride to carve through defenders, and his balance and reach to shield the puck from would-be stick checkers.

I dont think people appreciate how big and strong he is, said teammate Alex Pietrangelo , who defends Eichels rush attempts in practice.

Hes a big boy, and its hard to take the puck off of him because hes strong and powerful.

Eichel maximizes his strength and reach advantage by cleverly putting his body into positions that make it nearly impossible for the opposition to take the puck from him.

This play against Winnipeg on Nov.

29 is a great example, with Eichel eventually drawing a penalty on Kyle Connor behind the net.

This supreme confidence with the puck on his stick gives Eichel a rare level of poise.

When he gets the puck whether its on a quick transition chance or on a cycle play along the walls the game slows down.

Its the composure that truly separates him, said coach Bruce Cassidy, who has coached playmakers of differing styles during his career.

Ive seen fast guys, slow guys and guys in between.

I think its composure.

The ability to hang onto the puck for an extra second, to me, is usually what separates the best distributors.

That gives the pass receiver an extra second to get open.

Advertisement Eichel transports the puck from zone to zone with ease.

Both on the power play and at five-on-five, Vegas relies heavily on him for offensive zone entries, and Eichel does it as well as any player.

His speed forces defenders to back off at the blue line.

Eichel creates that space, then immediately uses it to set up possession inside the zone, such as during this play against Seattle on Nov.

8.

Thats always been a big part of my game since I was a kid, Eichel said.

The ability to carry the puck and slow things down or set things up is a strength of mine.

Eichels unique, upright skating style creates several problems for defenders and goalies.

For one, it doesnt look like hes moving as fast as he is, which causes defenders to lose proper gaps when defending in transition.

He covers a lot of ice with a few strides, said Victor Olofsson , who has played with Eichel in Buffalo and Vegas.

It doesnt look like hes going fast, but he covers a lot of ice.

Its pure skill, the way he goes through guys with the puck.

Hes a very powerful skater and a big guy, so its pretty impressive to see a guy his size move that fast.

Eichels upright stance and long, whippy stick also make it harder to anticipate his next move.

He doesnt dip his lead shoulder to lean into shots the way many players do.

Instead, he stands tall and quiet, ready to make a play the moment a passing lane opens.

He doesnt have busy hands, Cassidy said.

He has quick hands, and stickhandles when he needs to, but he has the puck out in front of him so hes pass-ready when he needs to be.

Early in the season, Eichel was centering the most productive line in hockey, playing between Stone and Ivan Barbashev .

Its an excellent mix of playing styles, with Stone and Barbashev both incredibly strong along the walls, winning puck battles and feeding Eichel.

In 181 minutes of even-strength ice time together, the trio is averaging 4.96 goals per 60 minutes, which is the most of any line with at least 160 minutes of ice time together.

Advertisement The 15 goals that line has combined for is still only five goals behind Winnipegs league-leading line of Connor, Mark Scheifele and Gabriel Vilardi , despite Eichels line playing less than half the ice time.

He definitely makes the game a lot easier for me, and everybody, Barbashev said of Eichel.

When Stone exited the lineup with a lower-body injury that kept him out for a month of action, Eichels production didnt drop despite playing with a rotating cast of Pavel Dorofeyev , Alexander Holtz , Nicolas Roy and Callahan Burke on his wing.

The offensive numbers are better than theyve ever been for Eichel, but what truly sets him apart amongst the other elite forwards this season is his defensive work.

When compared to the other Hart favorites, Eichel is being relied upon far more defensively and on the penalty kill.

Here are the top six Hart candidates by the odds, and what percentage of their shifts begin in the defensive zone.

Hes a 200-foot player, Barbashev said.

Weve seen it over the last couple of years and hes only getting better.

Its fun to watch him play defense and create chances.

When Vegas is protecting a lead late in games, Cassidy wants Eichel on the ice as much as possible.

One of the best examples came in Vegas 1-0 win over Edmonton on Dec.

3.

The Oilers were pushing hard for the tying goal late in the third period, and Eichel played three minutes and 32 seconds of the final 4:20 of the game.

Cassidy shifted Eichel on both sides of the final television timeout, then used his timeout to give Eichel a breather before sending him out for another lengthy shift.

This play against the Flyers on Nov.

25 highlights Eichels defensive acumen, and how his effortless stride allows him to skate away from defenders in open ice even at the end of a long shift.

Eichel had already been on the ice for more than a minute when he stole the puck from Scott Laughton and started heading the other way.

Over the last few years in Vegas, Eichel has continued learning how to use his physical attributes on the defensive side.

His quick first step allows him to close on puck-carriers faster than they expect.

From there, he uses strong balance and stick work to play through players hands and easily separate them from the puck.

I think hes better all over the ice, but definitely his defensive game has taken another step, said Olofsson, who played with Eichel for three seasons in Buffalo (2018-21) and now sees his progression as a Golden Knight.

Hes always taken a lot of responsibility, but I feel like hes taking even more defensive responsibility right now.

Hes even better than the things he was already elite at.

Eichel has become so dominant defensively that hes now Vegas most relied upon penalty-killer.

He averages 1:41 of short-handed ice time per game, which leads all Golden Knights forwards.

Its yet another way Eichel separates himself from other Hart contenders defensively.

Eichels impact on the Golden Knights cant be overstated.

If he continues playing at this level, and Vegas keeps winning, he should be in serious consideration for the first individual award of his already impressive career.

He may not keep pace with Kaprizov, McDavid and MacKinnon in terms of points, but hes unquestionably one of the best forwards in the NHL this season.

At the very least, he should be in consideration for the Selke Trophy.

(Photo of Jack Eichel: Len Redkoles / NHLI via Getty Images).

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