Less than 24 hours after the Vegas Golden Knights eliminated the Minnesota Wild from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, more good news has come to one of their best players.
On Friday, it was announced that Golden Knights center Jack Eichel was named as one of the three finalists for the Lady Byng Trophy. He is joined by Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar and Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point for the award.
With the Lady Byng Trophy meant to represent a combination of sportsmanship and ability, Eichel has fit both categories near-perfectly.
Eichel is enjoying the best season of his NHL career, scoring a career-high 94 points (28 goals, 66 assists) in 77 games, as well as finishing with a career-best plus-32 rating in plus/minus. He has only taken four minor penalties this season, tied for the lowest among all of the top 20 point scorers in the NHL. This is significant due to Eichel being tasked with playing everywhere for the Golden Knights, with time on the power play and penalty kill alongside his normal contributions on five-on-five.
Eichel was instrumental in the Golden Knights’ successful season, leading the team to its second 50-win season and the fifth divisional regular-season title in their eight seasons of existence.
While the nomination is certainly another feather in Eichel’s cap, he likely has his eyes set on hoisting another Stanley Cup in a couple months’ time.
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