Golden Knights’ Jack Eichel Ditches Non-Contact Jersey, Cleared to Resume Full Activities
Returning from the NHL’s All-Star break, Vegas Golden Knights centre Jack Eichel arrived to practice Monday wearing a full-contact jersey for the first time as a member of the organization.
Eichel, 25, was acquired by the Golden Knights on Nov. 4, 2021, in a deal that sent forwards Peyton Krebs, Alex Tuch, a 2022 first-round pick and a 2023 third-round pick to the Buffalo Sabres.
Shortly thereafter, the 6’2” forward underwent disc replacement surgery to heal his injured neck, and has been sitting on long-term injured reserve since. Now that he’s been cleared for full contact, his activation from LTIR could take place fairly soon.
Prior to the All-Star break, head coach Peter DeBoer confirmed Eichel may receive clearance from team doctors to resume contact drills once the second half begins.
When Eichel is ready for game action, Vegas will need to place him back on the active roster, meaning his $10 million cap hit will once again count against the $81.5 million salary cap. But with approximately $90.7 million already accounted for, management must first clear space to create room for the superstar forward.
Currently, this club features just over $15.2 million in LTIR relief pool money, however, that figure will drop to $5.2 million when Eichel returns to the active roster. As a result, they’ll need to clear $4.8 million from their current payroll to meet the league’s salary cap guidelines.
Over his six NHL seasons, the former Sabres draft pick has posted 139 goals and 355 points through 375 career games. Vegas currently sits atop of the Pacific Division with a 27-16-3 record and 57 points.
The Golden Knights resume their 2021-22 campaign on Tuesday against the Edmonton Oilers.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @ThomasHall85