If you go back to March 2021 when Jack Eichel suffered a career-threatening neck injury, it would’ve been hard to imagine that he would have a better chance of winning the Stanley Cup than Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers. But, here we are. Eichel and the Vegas Golden Knights are one win away from winning it all in the Stanley Cup Final against the Florida Panthers. On the road to the Stanley Cup Final for Vegas, Eichel and his Golden Knights teammates got the best of McDavid and the Oilers winning the second-round series in six games.
The two superstars will forever be linked by the 2015 NHL Draft when the Oilers selected McDavid first overall and the Buffalo Sabres chose Jack Eichel second. Both players have had their share of injuries, but McDavid’s career skyrocketed as expected to become one of the greatest players in NHL history. Yet, he doesn’t have a Stanley Cup, and it looks very promising that Eichel is going to win his first championship in 2023.
Eichel’s Path Has Been Difficult
Everyone had high expectations of Eichel when he was drafted. Despite some solid seasons with the Sabres, his neck injury in 2021 held him back. There were a lot of questions surrounding his health when he signed with Vegas, but his performance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs has erased all doubts that he is finally healthy and playing up to his draft status.
McDavid & Oilers Still Have Work to Do
If hockey wasn’t a team sport but relied on individual play for success, McDavid would be a champion every season. But it is a team sport, and despite his heroics in the playoffs and regular season, he can’t carry the team alone. Oilers general manager Ken Holland has worked hard to surround McDavid and Leon Draisaitl with a strong contending group, and they are inching closer to that elusive championship. However, they’re not quite there yet.
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They need better team defence, to improve their 5-on-5 play, and they need consistency from their goaltenders, not only in the regular season but also in the playoffs. Yes, they lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and they might have lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champions again this season, with the Golden Knights holding a commanding 3-1 series lead in the Cup Final against the Panthers.
Respect Eichel for What He’s Accomplished
At times in Eichel’s career, no one knew if he would play another game let alone lead a team to the Final. You have to respect his determination, his belief in himself, and his dedication to coming back from injury. He’s an inspiration, to never give up no matter how bleak the circumstances might seem.
More Motivated McDavid
McDavid has stated time and again that his goal is to win the Stanley Cup, and I expect him to be even more focused and motivated heading into next season. The team is closer to winning it all than they have been in over a decade, and if Holland can create some cap magic this offseason, McDavid could be hoisting the Cup as soon as next June.
Wayne Gretzky has predicted that McDavid will win a championship, and hopefully, he won’t have to relocate to another team to do so, like Ray Bourque did when the former Boston Bruin great won his first and only Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2001.
Celebrating Greatness: Eichel & McDavid
Eichel has overcome a lot of adversity to get to where he is now. He is talented and has helped the Golden Knights reach the Final. His is a great story. When you look back at previous NHL drafts, Guy Lafleur and Marcel Dionne, taken first and second in the 1971 NHL Draft, share a similar story to Eichel and McDavid. Lafleur went on to win four Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens, while Dionne didn’t win a Stanley Cup ring in his illustrious 19-year NHL career. It should be noted, however, that Dionne was on Team Canada 1972, when Canada defeated the USSR in the eight-game Summit Series.
Related: 2023 Stanley Cup Final: Do Oilers Fans Back Eichel or Tkachuk?
Hopefully, McDavid will not have to suffer a similar fate to that of Dionne. Oilers fans are hoping McDavid gets his shot at bringing a sixth Stanley Cup to Edmonton soon. If McDavid and the Oilers are successful as soon as next season, it’ll mark the the first time a Canadian-based team has won the Cup since the Canadiens in 1993. If Winnipeg-born golfer Nick Taylor can end a 69-year drought for Canadians like he did at the RBC Canadian Open on June 11, McDavid can certainly bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada after 31 years. At least that’s what Oilers fans are hoping for.
