By: Justin Gincauskas

Vegas Golden Knights forward Jack Eichel has been listed as week-to-week after undergoing successful lower-body surgery, the team announced Tuesday.

Eichel last played on Jan. 11, when he had a goal and an assist in a 2-1 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins. He left the game at one point with an injury but later returned. He has since missed Vegas’ last two games.

“The latest update I got today is he’ll miss a little bit of time,” Golden Knights coach Bruce Cassidy said Saturday. “But I don’t know how much time. Obviously, not good news for us or Jack. But we’ll see how it plays out.”

The Vegas Golden Knights will be without a significant piece of their team as Jack Eichel recovers from his surgery. Eichel leads the team with 19 goals this season and is tied with Mark Stone for the most points with 44. The NHL selected Eichel earlier this month to represent the Golden Knights at the 2024 All-Star Game. The game takes place on Feb. 3 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

Before the injury, Eichel was on pace to have his best season since 2019-20, when he was a member of the Buffalo Sabres. Eichel is averaging more than a point per game this season, which he has only done twice in his career.

Eichel is in his third season with the Golden Knights. The Buffalo Sabres originally drafted him second overall in the 2015 NHL Draft. He played six seasons with Buffalo until the team traded him to Vegas on Nov. 4, 2021. Eichel competed in the playoffs for the first time in 2023, contributing 26 points in 22 games as the Golden Knights won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Eichel’s injury does not come at a good time for Vegas. The team is currently 4-6 in its last 10 games and is seven points back of the Vancouver Canucks for first in the Pacific Division.

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