The Vegas Golden Knights have been eligible to sign superstar center Jack Eichel to an extension for 71 days. In less than two weeks, they’ll take the ice at the SAP Center for a preseason game against the San Jose Sharks. Then, the regular season begins for the Golden Knights on October 8th.
Still, Eichel remains unsigned.
However, neither the Golden Knights nor Eichel seems particularly concerned about the state of contract talks.
“That’s a priority,” McCrimmon told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic last week. “It remains a priority. 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.”
For the Golden Knights, re-signing Eichel is their top priority. But does the superstar center feel the same about staying in Las Vegas?
“I mean, at this moment, yeah, I’d like to stay,” Eichel told ESPN on Wednesday at the NHL Player Media Tour.
Eichel is in the final season of an eight-year, $80 million contract he signed in 2017 with the Buffalo Sabres. His next contract, however, will be a significant raise from his previous $10 million AAV. If Eichel hit the open market, he’d likely be the best option available at center. In that case, his rumored $13-14 million AAV would almost certainly skyrocket.
Luckily for the Golden Knights, Eichel doesn’t sound interested in testing Free Agency.
“At this moment, no,” said Eichel on Wednesday. “I love the organization. I love living here. I love the guys in the room. I love the people in the city. I love the fans. It’s a great place to live. It’s a great place to play hockey. I think there’s a lot of things to love and I’m just really happy here.”
Contract extension talks between McCrimmon and Eichel’s agent, Pat Brisson, are in the early stages. At the moment, Eichel isn’t worried; instead, he’s focused on getting ready for the upcoming season.
“I would say it’s ‘trending.’ I don’t know how to judge the situation,” Eichel said Wednesday. “For me, it’s more so about just trying to focus on preparing for the season.”
Even if Eichel enters the season unsigned, it’s no real cause for concern. Last year, the Golden Knights extended Shea Theodore, Adin Hill, Brayden McNabb, Keegan Kolesar, and Brett Howden during the regular season.
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