Potential UFA forward at ease about future, mutual interest in new deal

Jack Eichel Vegas

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HENDERSON, Nev. — Jack Eichel doesn’t appear concerned about his future with the Vegas Golden Knights even though he’s entering the final season of an eight-year, $80 million contract (average annual value of $10 million).

“For me, it’s business as usual,” Eichel told NHL.com at the NHL/NHLPA North American Player Media Tour on Wednesday. “Things like that kind of take care of themselves when you’re focused on the right things. I know that will sort itself out. Moreso, my mentality is we’re starting training camp, we’re starting the season and how do I be the best version of myself to help our team win, be a good teammate. We’ll see what happens going forward.”

Eichel is at ease about the contract situation partly because there is mutual interest from both sides to get a new deal done before he could become an unrestricted free agent after this season.

General manager Kelly McCrimmon said May 17, after the Golden Knights were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, that re-signing Eichel was “a really important order of business for us.” He recently echoed that comment in an interview with The Athletic, saying it “remains a priority.”

“It’s no secret that I like it here in Vegas,” Eichel said. “It’s a great organization. I really enjoy living here and being a part of this community.”

Eichel signed his current contract Oct. 3, 2017, when he was still playing for the Buffalo Sabres, which began in the 2018-19 season. He was traded to Vegas by Buffalo with a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft on Nov. 4, 2021, for forwards Peyton Krebs and Alex Tuch, a first-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft and a second-round pick in 2023.

The 28-year-old center led the Golden Knights and was eighth in the NHL with a career-high 94 points (28 goals, 66 assists) in 77 games last season. He had 66 points (27 goals, 39 assists) in 67 games in 2022-23 before helping Vegas win the Stanley Cup with 26 points (six goals, 20 assists) in 22 playoff games.

Eichel had 68 points (31 goals, 37 assists) in 63 games in 2023-24. He said the best part about playing for the Golden Knights is the expectation to win every season.

“As a player it’s a very competitive environment,” Eichel said. “The organization does a good job of taking care of their players and our goal is to win the Stanley Cup every year, and that’s a great thing.”