Avalanche rival stuns fans with huge contract decision on franchise cornerstone
Photo credit: Ethan Miller / Vegas Hockey Knight
Colorado Avalanche divisional rival Vegas Golden Knights will have a very big decision to make concerning franchise forward Jack Eichel's future with the team next offseason.
Reports indicate that Vegas has already began to work out Eichel's extension.
Avalanche rival will have a massive decision to make next summer.
Gabriel Foley from Pro Hockey Rumors writes that the Golden Knights have already locked down newly acquired forward Mitch Marner to a massive eight-year, $96 million contract onto the books.
Vegas currently sits $7.64 million over the salary cap limit, however, that overage is expected to be resolved once Alex Pietrangelo's $8.8 million cap hit moves to long-term injured reserve.
However, the Golden Knights will face a similar cap crunch next offseason, with star forward Jack Eichel set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2025-26 season.
"Vegas is already working out what Eichel's could look like - with an expectation that it could be pricier than Marner's new deal, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman shared on the latest 32 Thoughts Podcast." -Foley
Comparing Eichel and Marner head-to-head isn't easy, but there's no denying the Massachusetts native among the NHL's elite forwards.
"Eichel scored a career-high 94 points in 77 games this season, then added an additional 10 points in 11 postseason games. The performance was a true peak after Eichel managed strong scoring in each of his first three seasons with Vegas. That includes scoring 26 points in 22 games as the Golden Knights chased their first Stanley Cup win in 2023." -Foley
There may still be some uncertainty about Eichel replicating his 90-point season, but with a clean bill of health and a new superstar line-mate in Marner, it's looking increasingly likely that he'll reclaim his dominant form.
"He'll be playing for a contract this season, and could surpass the cap hit of both Marner and Mikko Rantanen given his premium role as a top-line center. Eichel added a 45.6 faceoff-percentage and 55 blocked shots to his stat line this season. He finished third in Lady Byng Trophy voting, and fifth in both Hart Trophy and Selke Trophy voting. With a strong year next season, Eichel could end up a favorite to win multiple player trophies." -Foley
I'm sure Vegas will do everything in their power to lock down Eichel to a long-term deal when the time is right.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 12 | 18 ANSWERS Avalanche rival stuns fans with huge contract decision on franchise cornerstone Will the Golden Knights re-sign Jack Eichel before the end of next season? | ||
| yes | 11 | 61.1 % |
| no | 7 | 38.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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