Negotiations between the Vegas Golden Knights and their star center, Jack Eichel, for a contract extension are underway, but a deal is not expected to be imminent. Eichel, who will be 28 years old soon, is in the final year of his current eight-year, $80 million contract, which also includes a full no-movement clause.
While both sides are interested in a long-term agreement, the contract talks are progressing slowly. According to sources, there is consistent communication between the Golden Knights and Eichel's agent, Pat Brisson, but there's no indication of an imminent deal. It remains uncertain if the negotiations will intensify or extend into the regular season, which starts on October 7.
Eichel is coming off a career-best season, tallying 28 goals and 66 assists for a total of 94 points in 77 games. He has solidified himself as a top two-way player in the league. Since joining the Golden Knights, Eichel has scored 100 goals and 253 points in 241 games, with a plus/minus rating of +65, and has won a Stanley Cup championship. With the addition of Mitch Marner, Eichel is still expected to be a leader in Vegas.
Given his performance and status as a premier player, Eichel is expected to command a contract exceeding $13 million per year, surpassing Marner's $12 million average annual value (AAV). Some insiders project that Eichel’s new contract may need to be closer to $14 million annually. One source explained that Kirill Kaprizov's recent eight-year, $136 million contract extension with the Minnesota Wild is not expected to change Eichel's talks with Vegas. However, insider Pierre LeBrun suggests that the Kaprizov signing will impact Eichel's next contract. LeBrun also believes that Eichel's extension will set the standard for pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs) and could have a domino effect on contracts for players like Adrian Kempe, Alex Tuch, and Martin Necas.
Frank Seravalli reported that Eichel's deal could be around $13.5 million across eight years. The Golden Knights would like to have the contract signed soon to avoid any distractions.
