It’s plausible that we spend too much of our attention on VGK superstar Jack Eichel. Our answer is, why shouldn’t we? His unsigned extension is one of the bigger storylines around the league and he happened to be named one of the top players in the entire NHL. Even surpassing one of the game’s all-time greats.
Sportsnet’s 2025-26 Top Ten Players
Connor McDavid
Nathan MacKinnon
Leon Draisaitl
Cale Makar
Nikita Kucherov
Quinn Hughes
Auston Matthews
Kirill Kaprizov
Jack Eichel
Aleksander Barkov
Last season Eichel couldn’t crack the Top 20 as then 37-year-old Sidney Crosby remained among Sportsnet’s ten best. Surprisingly, Eichel was ranked 26th overall last season which was unfairly low. Now, Sportsnet super boosted the Golden Knights top center 17 spots higher. It appears Eichel’s high 2025-26 rankings were also an omission for placing him so low last year.
(Credit: Sportsnet)
Sportsnet mentions Eichel’s top ten point total as well as his fifth-place finish for the Hart Trophy (5th Place) and Selke Award (5th) last season. Whereas in the past, the star center wouldn’t have received any praise for his two-way play. Now, there’s no doubting his high-end skill on both sides of the ice. Since his move to Vegas, many consider him a complete player.
One thing you’ll never hear from NHL players is “yeah I can do that” when talking about excelling in other professional sports. Hockey players are known for showing respect for other athletes across all leagues. While still cracking a smirk after watching their brethren’s attempt at skating or shooting. Just last year, Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs declared the NHL unplayable for most professional athletes.
Known for his baseball and football skills, the former New England Patriot and Tampa Bay Buccaneer quarterback lined up and ripped shots at a fan event. Brady’s accuracy was noticed by several NHLers, including New Englander and Patriots fan Jack Eichel.
You can never say anything bad about the guy. So, it looks good to me. Tom Brady is good in my book. -Jack Eichel
Several stars were pleasantly surprised by how high the seven-time champion could lift the puck.
Probably like his first time shooting pucks. That’s so crazy how good he is. That’s better than me at accuracy. – Nathan MacKinnon
Obviously, MacKinnon was being cheeky, but he was truly impressed by Brady’s ability to pick up a stick and snap a few pucks into a target on the spot. Something that many NHL players doubt they could do.
If I were to throw a football, I don’t think I would do very well. It’s pretty impressive for sure. -Clayton Keller
Tampa Bay captain Victor Hedman doesn’t see a future in hockey for Brady, but he also isn’t planning on a career change in the NFL.
Put it this way, if he looks at me throwing a football, he’d probably feel the same way. -Victor Hedman
The first two selections in the 2015 NHL Draft applauded the loudest for the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. Both Connor McDavid and Eichel recognized his athleticism when analyzing Brady’s shot. Anytime one GOAT comments on another GOAT, it’s worth paying attention to.
It looks like with a little bit of practice; he’s a pretty good athlete so a little bit of practice he’d be a pretty good player. -Connor McDavid
Of course, McDavid’s statesmanlike behavior came out when asked about another elite athlete comparable to himself. Just as he recognized Brady’s all-around athleticism, the Oilers captain would likely become a pretty good player himself with a little bit of practice. Eichel too.
Having three players drafted in the top five picks on one roster is a dream come true for an NHL organization. Having three top five picks from the same draft class is another level of excitement, especially since they were all drafted by the three separate teams. Building and trading for a roster of three top five selections has now been proven to be a successful way to secure back-to-back Stanley Cup champions.
This summer, the Golden Knights dealt and paid for that type of winning formula.
2015 NHL Draft Top 5 Selections
Connor McDavid – EDM
Jack Eichel – BUF
Dylan Strome – ARI
Mitch Marner – TOR
Noah Hanifin – CAR
In 2015, the Golden Knights had yet to even be awarded a franchise yet. We were around, of course, but the NHL was still months away from having any real presence. The other 30 clubs were preparing for arguably one of the most influential drafts of all time. After years of success, three of the top five have now settled in Las Vegas, creating a 2015 draft class lineup all in their peak. Now, they’ll try and copy what’s worked for two straight seasons for the Florida Panthers.
This offseason the Panthers pulled off the improbable by extending three vital skaters to their dynasty-lurking operation. Two of the three were selected in the four picks of the 2014 draft. Years back the reigning champions tag teamed them with 2014’s second overall pick Sam Reinhart, and you have the same blend of highly touted talent that the Golden Knights recreated. Good news for Vegas, Florida has proven it’s a smart approach for two straight seasons (really three).
2014 NHL Draft Top 5 Selections
Aaron Ekblad – FLA
Sam Reinhart – BUF
Leon Draisaitl – EDM
Sam Bennett – CGY
Michael Dal Colle – NYI
Dating back to the time the Golden Knights raised their first-ever Stanley Cup trophy, three of the top four 2014 draftees were on the ice for the Panthers. That trio went on to be key impact players for Florida in back-to-back championship runs.
With a win tonight, the Golden Knights will reset the series and reclaim home-ice advantage. Some of the storylines going into Game 4 are: how will Edmonton’s stars bounce back, and how will Vegas’ buzzer-beating thriller impact the future of the series? It’s possible that was the break Vegas needed to snatch control on the road. Especially when the Oilers are openly doubting themselves.
The first one I got stripped there. That’s on me. The quickness of the two of them deflated us a little bit. Obviously, it’s something to look at. – Leon Draisaitl, EDM center
After Vegas defeated Edmonton with 0.4 seconds on the clock, several players spoke about the energy being sucked out of the bench after the Golden Knights late 1st period flurry of goals in under a minute. One Oilers broadcaster added that it also took the life out of the building.
In Game 3, one of the league’s highest-paid players became a nationally televised detriment to his team. Of course, based on his illustrious career numbers, it’s highly unlikely Hart Trophy favorite Leon Draisaitl will have another dud performance. However, if the Golden Knights continue to contain him in one zone and expose him on the other end, they could be looking at an even series heading back to Las Vegas.
Leon Draisaitl’s Playoff History vs. Vegas
5/3/23 – 4 Goals, 2 PPG: VGK 6-4
5/6/23 – 2 Goals, PPG: EDM 5-1
5/8/23 – 0 Points, -2: VGK 5-1
5/10/23 – 1 Assist: EDM 4-1
5/12/23 – 0 Points, 3 Giveaways: VGK 4-3
5/14/23 – 0 Points, -4: VGK 5-2
5/6/25 – 1 Goal, 2 Points: EDM 4-2
5/8/25 – Game-Winning Goal: EDM 5-4
5/10/25 – 2 Assists, 4 Giveaways: VGK 4-3
On the surface, statistically, the NHL’s lone 50-goal scorer is having a fine start to the series. So far, Draisaitl has produced two goals and two assists in three games, with both goals coming in victories. It should be noted that Draisaitl quickly gave Connor McDavid full credit for creating Game 2’s overtime goal. As you look deeper, it’s the crucial gaffes that have made him, and Stuart Skinner, the current scapegoats in Edmonton. Realistically, Oilers fans should be praising the Golden Knights’ effort and execution.
We didn’t sort it out very well, to let the puck get into the slot. After that, it’s just unlucky. It’s unfortunate. It goes off my stick. I’m just trying to keep it out of the net, obviously. It’s just a bad bounce. – Draisaitl on Smith’s GWG
Take a look at how Vegas smartly jumps on a lazy group of Edmonton top liners. Watch Draisaitl (29) causally glide to the bench during the infamous shift change in Game 3. NHL.com’s Goal Visualizer highlights #29 in blue glance at William Karlsson picking up a puck and ignoring him on the way to the bench.
Between the bad changes and poor exit decisions from Draisaitl, and Darnell Nurse’s constant ineffective belly flops, the Golden Knights will continue to feast. Vegas has and will continue to expose the Oilers’ casual awareness, messy goaltending, and sliding defensemen.
We just got caught out there for a long time. It leads to not being able to sustain pressure. That can happen in 2nd periods where you have to defend a long time. You get one, maybe two guys off but we had more of a wholesale change. – Kris Knoblach, EDM coach
One last topic for tonight’s game is, can the Golden Knights penalty killers continue to keep Draisaitl off the board on the power play? Edmonton has the second-best power play percentage left in the postseason however, they’re below 15% through three games against Vegas. Neon Leon scored the second-most regular-season power-play goals in the NHL but has gone belly up against Vegas’ PK’ers.
Fans everywhere know Draisaitl and McDavid have the ability to take over any game in a blink. With Skinner in net, another break will likely fall for the current underdog. Maybe even enough silly turnovers where Draisaitl’s bounce back won’t matter.
There’s no team in the NHL quite like the Edmonton Oilers. Their pair of superstars and their ability to play together or apart sets up for a cat-and-mouse game between the two head coaches that will ultimately tell the story of the series.
This year, it becomes even more of a focal point than the series between the two teams in 2023. That’s because of the way the Golden Knights rolled out their forward lines to finish Round One against Minnesota. After searching high and low for a solution to stopping the Wild’s top guys, Bruce Cassidy ended up playing his three best defensive players all on the same line, and it worked like magic.
Unlike 2023, when Vegas has a lineup in which Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, and William Karlsson were each on separate lines, this year they enter with the option to play them all together, which will make the battle between the coaches even more important.
I’m not a big line match guy but there are exceptions to every rule and they have a couple of players who are exceptions. Those guys are MVP’s of the league. You have to be mindful of when they are coming over the boards to get the matchup you prefer. -Bruce Cassidy
In their series against the Kings, Kris Knoblauch deployed Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl together for the lion’s share of the time. LA countered with a bit of a rotation on who drew the defensive assignments, with Philip Danault, Anze Kopitar, and Quinton Byfield each spending more than 24 minutes of ice time against both McDavid and Draisaitl.
For the 12th time in club history, Vegas clinched a playoff series and will advance to the next round. While the series against the Minnesota Wild looked worrisome after three games, the Golden Knights were led by their stars in the final two games of the best of seven game affair. Overall, the 1st place team in the Pacific Division prevailed with their coaching, experience and special teams.
(Credit: SPORT LOGiQ)
Next, Vegas will take on a familiar foe for a chance to advance to the Western Conference Final. The Golden Knights hosted the Oilers in 2023, and although the series lasted six games, it wasn’t a very close chain of games. Only one of the six contests ended in a one-goal score. In VGKs four wins wins over Edmonton in 2023, the average margin of victory was three goals. However, at the conclusion of the series the Golden Knights only outscored the Oilers by three goals. There’s a strong chance the second round will play out the same way.
The hockey world got some excellent news this morning, it just came at the exact wrong time for the Golden Knights. The league’s best player, Connor McDavid, is set to return just nine days after an injury that was expected to keep him sidelined for two to three weeks.
The reigning Conn Smythe winner and three-time Hart recipient will step back onto the Oilers’ top line alongside Jeff Skinner and Zach Hyman. Of course, McDavid will command a lot of attention from the Pacific Division leading Golden Knights as they look to pick up their first win on the road this season. But, Vegas want to play the same way whether #97 is in the lineup or not.
I don’t think it changes our approach, I really don’t. We’re going to go take care of business. We haven’t been great on the road, we haven’t been poor but we haven’t played well enough to get points on a regular basis. -Bruce Cassidy
McDavid averages 1.4 points per game in his 20 appearances against the Golden Knights in the regular season and that number was even better in the playoff series where he scored 10 points in 6 games (1.67 per game).
So stopping, or slowing, McDavid will be crucial, but Vegas believes in the depth of their team as the biggest strength against the Oilers. The Golden Knights’ bottom six has been all over the scoresheet in the past few games and their blue line is unquestionably deeper than Edmonton’s. For VGK, it’ll be about staying the course, no matter which way the game is going early on, and wearing down their opponent, something they’ve struggled to do on the road.
We’ve got to go in with our own mindset of getting a 60 minute effort because on the road we’ve been about half of that. So, we need the full boat. -Cassidy
The Oilers currently sit in 5th place in the division and 9th in the conference with a .500 record of 6-6-1. They’ve had a bumpy road so far and have been particularly inconsistent on home ice (2-4-1). Vegas will look to keep it that way, advance their lead in the Pacific, continue their hot start, and maybe most importantly, get off the schneid on the road.
