Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel (9) waits for a face off during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers at T-Mobile Arena Thursday, Jan. 4, 2024.
Published Monday, March 4, 2024 | 12:11 p.m.
Updated 1 hour, 31 minutes ago
Jack Eichel is back.
The Golden Knights’ center is returning to the lineup after missing a month-and-a-half due to a lower-body injury.
Eichel has been cleared for full contact since Friday, when he saw his first on-ice action since undergoing surgery for a lower-body injury on Jan. 16.
Coach Bruce Cassidy did not fully commit to Eichel making his first appearance since Jan. 11 but said he was trending in the right direction. Vegas wraps up a five-game road trip tonight at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio (4 p.m., Vegas 34).
“I suspect he’ll play tonight, but he’ll make that call after warm-ups,” Cassidy said at morning skate.
The Golden Knights played well in the initial aftermath without Eichel, going 7-1-1 in their first nine games without him. That included a 3-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers in their first game coming back from the All-Star break that snapped Edmonton’s 16-game winning streak.
But Eichel’s absence, coupled with losing captain Mark Stone for an undetermined amount of time due to a lacerated spleen, has caught up to the Golden Knights. They’ve gone 2-6-1 in their last nine games and are coming off a 7-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday.
That slide has pushed the Golden Knights to fourth place in the Pacific Division via points percentage. If the playoffs began today, they would be the first wild card in the West.
“It’s been a while,” Eichel said. “It’s never fun sitting out and watching. You just miss playing, miss being around the guys in the locker room.”
Eichel was the Golden Knights’ leading scorer at the time of his injury with 44 points (19 goals, 25 assists) in 42 games. He was Vegas’ representative for the All-Star Game this year in Toronto, but had to miss the weekend due to the injury.
Eichel said he’s not looking to do anything different and play his game as he helps his team try to turn this season around.
“Whenever you’re out for an extended period, when you’re playing every other day you’re feeling confident. It can take a minute to get back in that groove,” Eichel said. “Hopefully I can pick it up quick.”
Danny Webster can be reached at 702-259-8814 or [email protected]. Follow Danny on X at twitter.com/DannyWebster21.
