Golden Knights Center Entering Hart Trophy Race

The Vegas Golden Knights have a player entering the Hart Trophy race this season.

Jacob Punturi | 9 Hours Ago

Nov 27, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (9) in the first period against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

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Vegas Golden Knights

The Pacific Division currently belongs to the Vegas Golden Knights. The division is up for grabs after the first two months of the season, but Vegas is one of the favorites.

Leading the charge for the Golden Knights is their superstar forward Jack Eichel. The 28-year-old center is having a fantastic start to his 2024-2025 campaign, leading his team in scoring and sitting firmly in the top five of the entire league scoring race. His play so far is not only setting the tone for Vegas and their playoff hopes, it's earned him a spot in this year's Hart Trophy race as the league MVP.

Through the first 25 games, Eichel is producing at a career-best rate. He has eight goals and 28 assists for 36 points while averaging nearly 21 minutes of ice-time per game. His previous best came during his stint with the Buffalo Sabres, when he recorded 28 goals and 54 assists to finish with 82 points in 77 games. If he stays healthy and at the same level of productivity, he should easily eclipse those numbers.

But what is really making Eichel a true MVP candidate is how much better he's making his teammates around him. He's spent the majority of his even-strength ice-time with wingers Ivan Barbashev and Pavel Dorofeyev and both players look even better by virtue of Eichel's playmaking.

Barbashev has long been a respected player in the NHL, but not an elite offensive player. He's recorded more than 19 goals just once over his nine seasons with the Golden Knights and St. Louis Blues. This season, however, he's producing well above expectations, with 13 goals in his first 26 games. And there's no way he reaches 13 goals this quickly without playing alongside Eichel.

The same thing can be said for Dorofeyev. While he impressed last year over half a season with Vegas, he's fitting in seamlessly on Eichel's right wing. Through the first two months of the season, he has 12 goals and 17 points. Similarly to Barbashev, Dorofeyev's production is largely due to the play of their center, Jack Eichel.

And that doesn't get into how effective he's been on the power play. He's recorded 11 assists with the man advantage so far, showing he's taking advantage of the opportunity, but it's not the sole reason he's scoring so much.

Overall, it's easy to see how Eichel is a legitimate MVP candidate this season. He's hardly receiving any chatter in this regard, however, as the likes of Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild, Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche, and Martin Necas of the Carolina Hurricanes dominating the conversation. As the season and Eichel's production continues though, his under the radar MVP campaign is sure to gain steam.

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Published 9 Hours Ago

JACOB PUNTURI