Will Golden Knights' Star Jack Eichel Be A Front-Runner For Any Individual NHL Awards This Season?

It might be about time that NHL award voters paid a little more attention to Jack Eichel. He's second in the league in scoring with 12 points, only behind Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid. Eichel is the top threat on a loaded Vegas Golden Knights team, and he’s been consistently good throughout his NHL career. 

For some reason, it’s not been good enough to draw the attention of award voters and earn the chance to win some of the league’s top individual honors. 

Eichel has been nominated for the King Clancy Award (leadership and humanitarian contributions) three times (2020-21, 2024-25, 2025-26), but hasn't won any of them. He was nominated for the Bill Masterton Award (perseverance, sportsmanship, dedication) in 2021-22. He didn’t win then either. He was a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy (sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct) in 2024-25 and also wasn't given the award. 

Granted, Eichel has won the ultimate team prize, hoisting the Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights in 2023, and he was the Conn Smythe Trophy runner-up. But what will it take for Eichel to be in the running for some of the major individual awards?

The answer is no drama and an explosive season.

One of two things will have to happen. Either a massive 2026-27 campaign or a few more consistent ones that put him in the upper echelon of NHL superstars. 

The first part of his career was surrounded by drama with the Buffalo Sabres. The team was terrible, and trade speculation and a serious health concern clouded his career. Now free of that noise, he can focus on his game. 

The second is a 100-point season. Eichel is a tremendous hockey player. He’s had multiple point-per-game-plus seasons, including last season, when he scored 90 points in 74 games.

However, because of injuries and other circumstances, he hasn’t yet broken into that 100-point tier. Until he does so, he may not be seen through the same lens as Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Nathan MacKinnon, Nikita Kucherov, Macklin Celebrini and others. That’s what it takes for the Hart Trophy nods and contention for the Art Ross or Rocket Richard Trophies. 

And it’s not like these players are about to take a step back. That means Eichel needs to find another gear, which also means playing out a full NHL season - something he has yet to do in his 11-year career leading up to this year. This might be his chance to reach that plateau. He’s got stiff competition, but he’s off to a tremendous start. 

He’ll have the help of Ivan Barbashev and Mark Stone, with other elite offensive talents around him. If they can stay healthy, that will help Eichel’s cause. He’ll also need to stay hot, avoiding the downturns that follow a hot start. 

“It’s good to have a good start to the season,” Eichel said on Wednesday. “Obviously, you put a lot of work in the off-season and whatnot. You want to try and build some confidence with what you’re doing in the first few weeks of the year.”

He had 19 points in 11 games last season, and 16 points in 11 games the year before. Strong starts are nothing new. They often simmer, which makes him a streakier player than some of the other top names in the NHL. 

If Eichel can put it all together, he’s a name to watch to bring home some individual hardware. 

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