An underrated postseason stat shows why the Golden Knights must re-sign Jack Eichel

Everyone knows that Jack Eichel is a playoff performer. 10 goals and 33 assists in 40 career postseason games warrant such a distinction. It doesn't matter if it's the dudes dwelling in Mom's basement in Alberta or cursed Buffalo fans. You must give Eichel his props.

That's especially true regarding 5v5 scoring chance creation. Our lovely friend, JFresh, pulled data from AllThreeZones regarding this little metric. Let me tell you, there's some revealing data showing how vital the center is to Vegas.

Can you believe it? 9.9 chance assists in the second round and 7.1 chances in the first round? That's pretty good. But that's not all the numbers show.

Eichel was tied for the seventh-best playoff performance with 14.8 in the second round. His other performance in the first round was 15th in the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Of course, this tells us one thing about the former Hobey Baker winner. He must stick around with the Golden Knights longer than Fantastic Four's box office success.

Why Kelly McCrimmon can't let Jack Eichel walk

For years, the Vegas Golden Knights have searched for a game-changing center. They needed a guy who generated scoring chances left and right, putting them in the best position to win. That meant finding someone who was worth taking a risk on.

That's where Jack Eichel came into the fold. Initially, the Buffalo Sabres dumped him off to Vegas like the Bills dump playoff wins off to the Kansas City Chiefs. Man, it must be nice being Terry Pegula, where you can trade your best players while focusing on your NFL team.

So, what would be the point of acquiring him if you can't get your best chance-generator a contract extension? It'd be akin to taking the pizza box when there's no pizza left.

Better yet, it'd be like the Hamburglar going to McDonald's... for a Crispy Chicken Snack Wrap.

The moral of the story? Kelly McCrimmon would've wasted five seasons with the former second-overall pick in tow.

Losing Eichel doesn't just hurt the chance-making flow

What would've been the point of getting Mitch Marner if you don't have that game-changing center in the fold? You're leaving behind a Ferrari and getting a new engine for said Ferrari. In what world would that make sense?

If you think getting Connor McDavid makes sense, it might from a statistical standpoint. After all, he is the best player (arguably) in the NHL. But offering exuberant deals to big names has never been McCrimmon's MO. It's always been about balance and getting quality guys in the right roles.

That's no different with your biggest superstar. You can get him at a cheaper price than McDavid while still getting quality Stanley Cup playoff contributions. Plus, the fans are on board with having your best player come back. It's a win-win!

Here's hoping the Golden Knights look at these stats and see a superstar who contributes at a high level. More chances means more goals and getting closer to another Stanley Cup. You can't do that without your best player going somewhere else.