Graney: Jack Eichel makes case for best 200-foot player in the world

Vegas Golden Knights coach John Tortorella said it following Game 2 of the Western Conference Final and again Friday.

Jack Eichel is one of, if not the best, 200-foot players in the world.

It doesn’t happen overnight.

It takes growth, maturity, an understanding of what your team needs most to win. It takes some serious time and commitment.

Eichel and his teammates are preparing to play in the Stanley Cup Final, where stars are counted on to lead the way under the game’s brightest of spotlights. Eichel is one.

You can’t overstate the importance of his presence as a No. 1 center who plays both sides of the ice with identical precision.

Who takes as much pride in his defensive abilities as he would creating offense for himself and others at the opposite end.

“I think we all take pride in winning,” Eichel said. “So whatever it takes to help the team win.”

A portrait

Knights forward Cole Smith said it best: If you want a portrait of what defines Eichel most, just look towards the end of Game 4 against Colorado, whom the Knights swept out of the playoffs to secure a spot in the championship series.

The Avalanche had pulled their goalie in a one-score game for a 6-on-5 advantage and Eichel found himself matched up with Colorado star Nathan MacKinnon.

Eichel won the battle, sending the puck out to the neutral zone and essentially clinching things for the Knights.

“It’s a moment like that where you see how truly special (Eichel) is,” Smith said. “He can skate with anyone, play with anyone, shut guys down. I mean, he’s an unreal talent when you look at how he plays the game up and down the ice.

“I’ve never been a scorer so I’ve had to rely on the defensive side of my game. But as you get older, I think there are special players like (Eichel) who can skate the way he does and think the way he does. Being a great (200-foot player) just naturally comes with the territory of who he is.”

It’s why the Knights in October 2025 signed Eichel to an eight-year contract extension that carries a $13.5 million average annual value. Why he is so coveted by the organization.

Everyone is different. Everyone develops at various speeds. Maybe you’re good at one aspect and need years to fine-tune another as your career progresses.

Maybe you one day come to the realization about what is most significant.

“I can only speak for myself, but the (defensive part) is definitely something I’ve given more attention to, something I understand is really important, especially in big games,” Eichel said. “It’s something I’ve tried to continue improving throughout my career. By no means a finished product. Always trying to get better. Whether it’s guys around the league or teammates or coaches, I’m always trying to pull information from them.”

Draw from experience

So now he and the Knights are back in a Stanley Cup Final, a title they captured in 2023 when Eichel scored 26 points in 22 playoff games.

Every game and series and season are different, but that doesn’t mean you can’t draw from such an experience now.

Faces who won the Cup dot the Knights’ locker room. But, as Eichel said Friday, it’s hockey. At day’s end, you have to outplay the other team.

The Knights have a much better chance at doing so with him directing the top line.

Just remember the portrait Smith pointed to.

“That sequence against MacKinnon came at a very crucial time,” Tortorella said. “But that’s what (Eichel) is. He just gets how to play 200 feet. I wish he shot the puck more. We all want him to shoot the puck more. I’ve said it to him about 20 times.

“But you need to get out of his way. He gets it. And he went through a process. When you think about where he was early in his career to where he is now … Man, it’s such a great asset for this organization.”

It doesn’t happen overnight.

But when it does, you have an absolute star.