Since the news of the blockbuster trade, everyone in Vegas is sitting on pins and needles waiting for the return, and debut, of Jack Eichel in a Golden Knights jersey.
With surgery scheduled for tomorrow in Colorado, Eichel’s timeline is expected to be around three months which would have him looking at a return to play sometime in February.
This year, however, the NHL’s February schedule is unique. The Golden Knights do not have a game between February 1st and the 25th. That’s due to the league taking a break for the All Star Game (which is in Las Vegas) and the Olympics.
Eichel is one of the best American-born players in the world and would be a shoo-in for Team USA if he were available to play. He has expressed interest in the past, but obviously, the injury throws a wrench in the works.
As recently as a few days before the trade, Eichel said in an interview with ESPN that it is a goal of his to make it back and play in the Olympics. Since the trade though, it seems to be a bit more of a longshot.
I would love to be there, I would love to represent our country. The organization in Vegas just made a commitment to me and I want to make that same commitment back, so I’m not going to rush anything. –Eichel on Spittin Chiclets
He reiterated that when being interviewed during the Golden Knights/Kraken game on ESPN.
Representing my country is something that I take great pride in. Hopefully I’ll have the opportunity at some point, who knows? I just want to keep things short term at this point and take care of my health, get back to 100%. -Eichel on ESPN
This all must sound pretty good from a Golden Knights perspective. The last thing Vegas wants to see is Eichel playing in a different uniform and suffer another injury that would keep him off the ice any longer.
The Olympics will likely be littered with Golden Knights players, but it appears the newest one will not be among them.
THE hockey GOD
left out someone on injury report:
– Doc out MIA , injury unknown, Jason has search party out looking for his buddy. May be dementia related like his buddy in the WH. Estimated time to return, unknown.
Vic
LOL. Gets quiet around here when Vlad the Imposter and his 17 pseudonyms take a pause resting in the insane asylum. Maybe he’s too busy checking the minor league box scores for plus and minus and/or primary versus secondary assists.
knights fan in minny
love it
THE hockey GOD
will they have to pay him and put him on roster if he goes to China ? I don’t see him ready to play in this time line. I wish there was a real DOC in house, so we could ask them if it is feasible or not ?
maybe CANADA should pay him , since he going to play for Team Canada?
THE hockey GOD
my bad, TEAM USA, not Canada. I didn’t realize he is an AMERICAN.
doh. slap me upside the head.
Tim
Maybe I’m off base here but why would any of our players want to go to the Olympics? Haven’t we had enough injuries and isn’t it the goal to win the Stanley Cup? So we’ll take a chance for more injuries to feed there ego that they played in the Olympics and put the team endanger with the money there making. I think this is total bullshit sorry.
AP
Gold medal representing your country is a nice consolation prize to the cup, and its been 13 years since they were allowed to play, players want it bad
Blitz
Just commenting on the injury report updated earlier. I assume Carrier’s injury is from taking a puck to the face last game. He played thru it, but guessing that it caught up with him later.
Does that mean yet another AHL kid tonight, or maybe Amadio will be back?
LVsc
Cotter and Rondberg both were outstanding goals, and Brasser was great in goal, especially on the 5-on-3
great win tonight, but the lack of discipline and hockey sense really made it a lot closer than it needed to be.
PDB and his staff have to knock off the bullshit of having the dmen pinch when there is no chance, just like Hague did on Minn goal #1.. and worse, the score and game situation dictated that the d stay in position, but the Vegas Gamblers won’t play it by the book