It has already been a busy summer for the Vegas Golden Knights. Most notably, the Golden Knights completed a sign-and-trade for Mitch Marner. They have now turned their focus to re-signing Jack Eichel. In a conversation with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic, general manager Kelly McCrimmon noted that getting an extension done with Jack Eichel remains a priority.
Re-signing Eichel is not going to be an inexpensive endeavor. He is finishing an eight-year contract worth an AAV of $10 million per year. The deal was originally signed when he was with the Buffalo Sabres before being traded to Vegas. Eichel will be looking for a significant raise over that total.
The starting point for an Eichel deal will be the Marner contract. Marner's contract is an eight-year deal worth $96 million, giving him an AAV of $12 million per year. Eichel is expected to need more than that to complete an extension. With the salary cap rising by $9 million next season, giving Eichel a sizeable raise is more than achievable.
The Golden Knights must get a Jack Eichel extension done
Eichel found a career resurgence with the Golden Knights, with McCrimmon celebrating his contributions to the organization.
“He’s been a great player for our organization. I think our organization has been great for him. So, lots of interest, obviously, I think from both sides to make something work,” McCrimmon told LeBrun.
The American-born forward was the No. 2 overall pick of the 2015 NHL Draft by the Buffalo Sabres. He spent six seasons in Buffalo before being moved to Vegas. In the past four seasons, he has been an integral part of the offense.
In 2022-23, he amassed 66 points in the regular season. That year, in the playoffs, he found the back of the net six times and added 20 assists, on the way to Vegas winning the Stanley Cup. Then, last year, he lit the lamp 28 times while having a career high 66 assists, good for another career high, 94 points.
With the cap continuing to rise, and Eichel showing he is one of the stars of the franchise, the front office can sign him to more than a $14 million AAV contract. That is the amount of Leon Draisaitl's contract, currently the largest in the league. His recent contributions have shown he has earned that deal.
