Will Jack Eichel be a Hart Trophy finalist?

It’s no secret that Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel is one the NHL’s elite players, as his brand new eight-year, $108 million contract can attest. While Eichel already has the ultimate team accomplishment under his belt, winning a Stanley Cup with Vegas in 2023, he has yet to take home one of the NHL’s major individual awards.

This season could be where that changes. Eichel is off to a red hot start, having already notched 5 goals and 6 assists for 11 points in just 5 games. The former Buffalo Sabre came closest to winning the Hart Trophy last season, finishing fifth in voting. If he keeps up the level of play we’ve seen so far, and Vegas has the type of team success they expect, Eichel could be in the thick of the race for the Hart by season’s end.

On Friday’s episode of Daily Faceoff Live, Tyler Yaremchuk and former NHL goaltender Carter Hutton discuss Eichel’s start to the season, and whether he will finish the year as one of the three Hart Trophy finalists.

Carter Hutton: What I do see in Jack is the relief that [Mitch] Marner brings with his creativity, so maybe he starts to shoot the puck a bit more. He does have an elite shot. He can score at will, but at times he puts it away and looks for second opportunities. He likes to draw guys out of the pile and distribute the puck, where I think Marner already has that element to him.

With [Eichel’s] Selke-like play as well, he defends so hard. And now the security of his contract and where he’s at, and having the cup, I think this could be a year where you just see Jack Eichel having fun playing hockey. I feel like he’s reinvigorated himself in Vegas.

You can watch the full segment and the rest of the episode here…