Jack Eichel contract extension: Golden Knights star to remain in Vegas on eight-year deal topping $100 million

The Vegas Golden Knights and star Jack Eichel have agreed to a lengthy contract extension topping $100 million, according to ESPN. Eichel has been with the Golden Knights since 2021 and led the team to its first Stanley Cup in 2023, and now he’s signed for eight more years and $108 million, per the report. 

Eichel has been an integral part of the franchise since he was acquired from the Buffalo Sabres in 2021. Now, the Golden Knights have their cornerstone player signed through the 2033-34 season, and they got him for just a tick over the $12.5 million annually Connor McDavid signed for earlier this week with the Oilers. It’s a good piece of business for Vegas, and the contract should only look better as the cap continues to rise.

In his four seasons with the Golden Knights, Eichel has tallied 100 goals and 153 assists in 241 games, but offense is only part of what Eichel brings to the table. Eichel, an assistant captain for Vegas, is also one of the best two-way centers in the league. Last season, Eichel finished fifth in Selke Trophy voting for his exquisite defensive impacts.

That two-way ability was on display throughout the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs when Eichel powered Vegas to a Stanley Cup victory. He led the NHL with 20 assists and 26 points while playing lockdown defense when it mattered most.

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, Eichel’s career got off to a bumpy start due to a lack of team success in Buffalo coupled with a herniated disc in his back. After an ugly dispute with the Sabres about how to repair the herniated disc, Eichel was traded to the Golden Knights and underwent a successful artificial disc replacement procedure.

Eichel recovered nicely and has been one of the best players in the NHL since. He’s a major reason why the Golden Knights are among the betting favorites for the Stanley Cup this season (+950 at FanDuel), but Eichel isn’t alone. Vegas made a giant splash in the offseason when it acquired Mitch Marner from the Toronto Maple Leafs before signing him to an eight-year, $96 million deal.

Add Shea Theodore and Noah Hanifin into the mix, and the Golden Knights have four key members of their core signed through at least the 2031-32 season.