Golden Kights GM: Eichel extension 'important piece of business'
Vegas Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon labeled a new contract for 2026 unrestricted free agent Jack Eichel a top priority for the organization.
"The guy is a tremendous player," McCrimmon said Saturday, per NHL.com's Paul Delos Santos. "He's one of the top guys in the NHL. He's got great character and great leadership. You see night in and night out what he does for our team. So that will be a really important piece of business for us. I sure hope to keep Jack in our organization. Jack loves it here. I hope we can find common ground and keep him a Golden Knight."
Eichel is eligible to sign an extension as of July 1. The 2025-26 season will be the eighth and final year of the $80-million contract the star forward signed with the Buffalo Sabres in 2017. Eichel's $10-million annual cap hit is the highest on the Golden Knights.
The 28-year-old notched a career-high 94 points this season and added 10 more in the playoffs before the Edmonton Oilers eliminated Vegas in Round 2.
Eichel has 253 points in 241 games across four seasons with the Golden Knights and led the team in playoff scoring when it won the Stanley Cup in 2023. He was traded to Sin City from Buffalo in 2021 after a dispute with the Sabres over treatment for a neck injury.
Although Eichel indicated he isn't rushing to sign a new deal, he had nothing but good things to say about Vegas.
"It's a phenomenal place to play hockey, live, and be a part of," Eichel said. "It's a great group of people to come to work with every day. I can't say enough about my teammates, the people in this building, and the people that make this organization what it is."