Eichel, Golden Knights set for his debut against Avalanche

LAS VEGAS -- Jack Eichel's long-awaited debut with the Vegas Golden Knights will come on a grand stage Wednesday.

In his first game in almost a year, Eichel and the Golden Knights will play the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche at T-Mobile Arena and it will be televised nationally (10 p.m. ET; TNT, TVAS, NHL LIVE).
"We're excited and, for him, I know he's excited," Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb said Tuesday. "It's been a long time coming, so I know he's been looking forward to this game for a long time and it will be fun to see him out there, fun to play with him, and we'll try to get him accustomed to the team and what we do."
Eichel hasn't played since March 7, 2021, with the Buffalo Sabres. The center had artificial disk replacement surgery on his neck Nov. 12 after being acquired by Vegas in a trade with Buffalo on Nov. 4.
The Avalanche (34-9-4) had a 19-game point streak (17-0-2) end with a 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday.
"I understand it's been 11 months, I didn't have any preseason games and having to jump in there against the best team in the League right now," Eichel said Monday. "But at the end of the day, it's hockey. I've been doing it since I was a kid. So I'll just try to find my game, get as comfortable as I can as quickly as possible and I think I'll be all right."
The Golden Knights (28-17-3) are second in the Pacific Division, one point behind the Calgary Flames, and are looking to rebound from a 6-0 loss at the Flames on Feb. 9. Eichel's debut could provide a much-needed boost, particularly with forward Mark Stone placed on long-term injured reserve Monday because of a lingering back injury and goalie Robin Lehner out with an upper-body injury.
"I would think our adrenaline should be high because we got our [rear end] kicked in Calgary last game 6-0," Golden Knights coach Peter DeBoer said. "I think that's where it should start, and then Jack coming into the lineup should be a piece. The opponent who we're playing and their record in the last 36 games … they've won 30 of their last 36 (30-3-3), which in the NHL it's unheard of to put that kind of string together.
"So I think our adrenaline better be in the right place for all those reasons."
The Golden Knights and the Avalanche could meet in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a second straight season. Vegas defeated Colorado in six games in the second round last season.
"Whenever we're playing Colorado, we've always had some good battles against them," McNabb said. "So you're always measuring yourself against them. For sure, we're at midseason right now and it is another game, but it's always one we look forward to here."

The acquisition of Eichel raised already high expectations for Vegas, which lost in the third round of the playoffs the prior two seasons. The Golden Knights paid a hefty price, sending forwards Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs, a top 10 protected first-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft to the Sabres. (Vegas also received a third-round pick in the 2023 draft.)
Vegas reached the Stanley Cup Final as an expansion team in 2017-18, losing to the Washington Capitals in five games.
"I think [owner Bill Foley has] made it clear that, obviously, the expectation here in Vegas is certainly to win the Stanley Cup," Eichel said. "I think that should be every team's expectation, and it's great that the organization feels that way and everything that we do during the season is geared towards winning."
Selected by Buffalo with the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, Eichel scored 355 points (139 goals, 216 assists) in 375 games with the Sabres. The 25-year-old scored at least 24 goals in each of his first five NHL seasons, including a high of 36 in 2019-20, before scoring two (with 16 assists) in 21 games last season, when he missed the final 33 because of his injury.
"He can shoot the puck, and whenever you're defending a guy, he always hits the guy that's open," McNabb said. "So he's a great player, and I know for us and for him especially, he's ready to get going."
It's probably going to take some time for Eichel to get back up to speed after a long layoff, so DeBoer said he is being realistic about what he can do Wednesday.
"Fair expectations is he gets out there and takes a regular shift and he gets through it healthy and he starts to build some confidence," DeBoer said. "I mean this guy has been out for (11) months and he's jumping into midseason. He's a special player. I have no doubt he's going to return to a really high level. How long that takes, I don't know."
Eichel will also probably need some time to get used to his new teammates. He practiced the past two days on the top line with Max Pacioretty and Evgenii Dadonov.
"He hasn't played with us ever," Golden Knights center William Karlsson said. "It's also about getting to know your teammates kind of how they play and what to expect when this or that guy has the puck."
Photo courtesy: Zak Krill/Vegas Golden Knights