Jack Eichel wasted no time giving the Vegas Golden Knights something to track in 2026-27.
On Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks, Eichel opened the season with a goal and two assists in a 5-2 Vegas win. One of those helpers came on the power play, when he fed Victor Olofsson for a finish that helped jump-start the night for the Golden Knights.
That matters because the man advantage figures to be a major part of Eichel’s path this season. With Pavel Dorofeyev out of the picture, Vegas will need Eichel to drive a lot of its scoring chances when the team has the extra skater. If he keeps stacking up power-play production, the first 100-point season in franchise history starts to look a lot more realistic.
Eichel has already come close to that milestone twice. He put up 94 points last season, with 28 goals and 66 assists, after finishing with 90 points the year before, including 27 goals and 63 assists. Vegas has never had a player reach 100 points in a season, and Eichel is the closest anyone has come.
Mitch Marner is another name worth watching in this conversation. He reached 102 points with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2024-25, finishing with 27 goals and 75 assists, so he enters the season with a century mark already on his résumé. But in Vegas, the focus is squarely on Eichel and whether he can be the one to finally get the Golden Knights over the top.
There’s plenty of season left, and one game doesn’t decide anything. Injuries or other setbacks could change the picture fast. But if Opening Knight is any indication, Eichel is off to the kind of start that gives this chase real legs.
A goal and three points right out of the gate is exactly the kind of opening Vegas needed from its star. If he can keep that pace, stay healthy, and take on more of the scoring load, the century mark is in play.