Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman announced on Wednesday, Oct. 8, that the Vegas Golden Knights have extended forward Jack Eichel to an eight-year contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $13.5 million.
Related: Jack Eichel’s Future Looms Large for the Golden Knights
This news came just hours before the Golden Knights opened their season against the Los Angeles Kings at T-Mobile Arena. Here’s a closer look at the deal itself, its long-term implications, and what it means in the era of massive NHL contracts.
Jack Eichel to Stay in Vegas
With the season just a handful of hours away for the Golden Knights, they locked up Eichel to a massive contract, a deal that keeps him in Vegas for the foreseeable future.
“I obviously love it here in Vegas with this organization,” Eichel said early in training camp. “The people involved in it, from ownership, down through all of our training staff and everyone you work with on a daily basis. The community has been great to me. I love living here” (from ‘Jack Eichel doesn’t view contract situation with Golden Knights as a distraction,’ The Athletic, 10/8/25).
Unlike many high-profile negotiations, there was little uncertainty about Eichel’s future. Both he and the Golden Knights made it clear they wanted a deal in place before the season — and this is simply the culmination of that shared intent.
Eichel enters the 2025-26 season alongside newly signed Mitch Marner, forming what could be one of the league’s most dynamic and dangerous duos. With both players locked into long-term deals, Vegas appears set up for years of high-end production at the top of its lineup.
“He’s a superstar player and he’s really easy to read off,” Eichel said when asked about playing with Marner. “We’re just trying to figure each other’s tendencies out and get better every day we’re on the ice together.”
“Both of us like to have the puck on our stick, so the first thing I think about is possession. I think there’s a lot of creativity that you can see off the rush, making plays, but also being able to hold onto pucks down low, create plays off the cycle, and then just be sound defensively.”
The two will look to showcase to the rest of the NHL what they can do together this season.
Landscape of Contracts in the NHL & Eichel
In an era of mega contracts in the NHL with the likes of Kirill Kaprizov, Mikko Rantanen, Kyle Connor, and recently Connor McDavid, Eichel joins that list.
Kaprizov’s $17 million AAV contract shattered the internet, establishing the biggest contract in NHL history. Eichel’s isn’t quite at the level of the Minnesota Wild’s superstar winger.
The graphic below shows some of the latest big contracts in the NHL:
| Kirill Kaprizov: 8 years for $17 million |
| Jack Eichel: 8 years for 13.5 million |
| Connor McDavid: 2 years for $12.5 million |
| Mitch Marner: 8 years $12.5 million |
| Mikko Rantanen: 8 years $12.5 million |
| Kyle Connor: 8 years for $12 million |
Since coming to Vegas in 2021, Eichel has altered the trajectory of his career and the trajectory of the Golden Knights. Since coming to Vegas, the team won the Stanley Cup in 2023, claiming the most prized trophy in hockey in their sixth season in the NHL.
Eichel Continues to Be Heart of Golden Knights
Eichel finished the 2024-25 season with 28 goals, 94 points, and capped off the playoffs with 10 points in 11 games. The 28-year-old has been the heart of the Golden Knights’ offense since his arrival and looks to continue to do that throughout the 2025-26 season despite an aging Vegas team.