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There might now not be a herniated disc protruding from Jack Eichel’s surgically repaired neck. However after one other 12 months of lacking the playoffs — this time with a brand new group — there’s now a chip on his shoulder that wants addressing.
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Maybe that’s the reason Eichel was at BioSteel Camp in Toronto this week.
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With Connor McDavid, Cale Makar and others in attendance, the pre-training camp is an opportunity for the Golden Knights centre to get a head begin on getting again to being the participant he as soon as was. However extra importantly, it’s an opportunity for him to grow to be the star that Vegas wants him to be if it will get again to being a contender.
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“I believe our principal aim is to win a Stanley Cup,” stated Eichel. “I believe we all know now we have the group to do it. We simply should go put the product on the ice. I at all times assume there’s going to be expectations round groups and gamers. It’s factor. Final 12 months simply created extra of a chip on our shoulder as a gaggle and made us need extra and be that rather more hungry for achievement.”
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Regardless of the way you have a look at it, final season was a sophisticated 12 months for Eichel.
After herniating a disc in his neck on the finish of the 2020-21 season, he spent six months in a standoff with the Sabres’ medical workers over learn how to repair the issue. Buffalo wished him to endure spinal fusion. Eichel wished synthetic disc alternative surgical procedure. Finally, the Sabres traded him to Vegas, the place he was allowed to endure the considerably experimental process.
From a private standpoint, Eichel seen his return from a possible career-ending neck damage as “profitable.” However from a hockey standpoint, lacking the playoffs for the seventh straight 12 months was one more in a string of on-ice disappointments for the previous No. 2 total decide.
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“It’s good and unhealthy, clearly,” Eichel stated of final season. “We’d have favored to have been within the playoffs. I might have prefer to have helped our group extra, however I believe simply coming again and having performed is an accomplishment in itself.”
That’s not what number of hockey followers in Vegas seen it. Lacking the playoffs was a brand new expertise for the Golden Knights, who had gone to the ultimate in 2018 and went to the convention last in 2020 and 2021. That they did not even get into the playoffs after including Eichel to a star-studded roster ultimately price head coach Peter DeBoer his job.
And, but, it might have been worse.
Eichel might have missed the entire 12 months. As a substitute, he was again on the ice in three months, the place he scored 14 objectives and 25 factors in 34 video games.
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“Initially, I’m proud and I’m blissful that I used to be capable of endure a process that had by no means been completed earlier than on an NHL participant,” stated Eichel. “However, you recognize, anytime you’ve got surgical procedure, I don’t care what it’s, it’s at all times a battle to rehab that and are available again. That was about as quick as I might have come again. I don’t assume it might have been any faster. So I used to be very blissful about that.
“I’m nonetheless coming off surgical procedure, so I’m discovering my well being and I’m discovering my sport and I didn’t actually really feel like myself essentially. It takes time. I believe individuals underestimate what occurs when you’ve got surgical procedure. There’s quite a lot of bodily parts and there’s quite a lot of psychological parts to beat it. However with that being stated, I’ve much more to offer.”
With all that has occurred to Vegas up to now a number of months, Eichel might want to give all of it. This isn’t your dad’s growth group.
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The Golden Knights are now not thought of the Stanley Cup contenders that they had been a 12 months in the past. Not after the group was pressured to commerce Max Pacioretty to Carolina in a wage dump. And positively not with No. 1 goalie Robin Lehner anticipated to overlook your entire season after present process hip surgical procedure.
Loads of the group’s success will rely on what influence new head coach Bruce Cassidy could make and the way a lot veterans, resembling Mark Stone and Alex Pietrangelo, have to offer. However with a $10-million cap hit, the group’s playoff hopes will relaxation with Eichel.
He is aware of it. And primarily based on the work he has been doing this summer time, he embraces it.
“I’m feeling increasingly more like myself this summer time than I’ve in a very long time,” he stated. “If you’re harm for so long as you’re, you’re going to make compensations and there’s factor that it’s good to unwind after having surgical procedure. So the summer time was alternative for me to try this. This can be a nice camp. It’s an excellent alternative for me to simply maintain getting ready for the season.
It’s good to have a full low season and coaching with some stability and understanding the place I’m going to be. I’m excited. It’s an excellent alternative for us.”
mtraikos@postmedia.com
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