The Vegas Golden Knights have been riding a bit of a roller-coaster this season. Despite holding third place in the Pacific Division with an 11-6-8 record, they’ve dropped four of their last five games. Their most recent outing was a tight 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday.

One consistent bright spot has been Jack Eichel. He’s driving the Golden Knights’ offense and has quickly become a fan favorite in the early Hart Trophy conversation.

NHL Analyst Breaks Down Jack Eichel’s Place in the Hart Trophy Race

Jack Eichel continues to lead the Golden Knights offensively, putting up 21 assists and 32 points through 25 games, good for 9th in league scoring. He was even at the top of the scoring race in October and looked like an early Hart Trophy favorite.

Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic recently released his Hart Trophy rankings. He pointed out that we’re only at the quarter mark of the 2025-26 season, still too early for conclusions, but far enough in for some storylines to take shape.

Luszczyszyn slotted Jack Eichel in at ninth overall, giving him a +6.5 offensive rating and a +1.2 defensive rating. Just ahead of him in eighth is Tampa Bay’s Brandon Hagel, who carries the same offensive mark.

Speaking about both players, Luszczyszyn wrote, “Brandon Hagel and Jack Eichel round out the forward group, with their five-on-five games being key factors. The Lightning earn 61 percent of xG with Hagel on the ice while the Golden Knights are at 58 percent with Eichel, both in tough-minute roles.”

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At the top of the Hart Trophy rankings are Colorado Avalanche stars Nathan MacKinnon at No. 1 and Cale Makar at No. 2, both considered the leading favorites right now. Luszczyszyn said, “The Colorado Avalanche are unstoppable and their two best players have been directly at the heart of that.”

MacKinnon is putting together one of the best seasons of his career, on pace for 66 goals and 144 points. The Avalanche have dominated 35-9 in his minutes, which firmly puts him in the lead for the Hart Trophy. Makar has been just as impactful, helping drive play with a 23-6 edge when he’s on the ice with MacKinnon and taking on tougher defensive assignments that add to his overall value.

With more than half the season still to go, the Hart Trophy race is wide open, and plenty can change before the final decision.