While the majority of the speculation on the rich crop of pending unrestricted free agents set to hit the market next offseason may lie with Edmonton Oilers team captain Connor McDavid, there are still two major names who could potentially be up for grabs in Jack Eichel and Kirill Kaprizov.
Both Eichel and Kaprizov are entering the final seasons of their respective deals with the Vegas Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild, respectively, and could draw heavy interest from other clubs if they were to test the open market.
The Golden Knights Say That Re-Signing Jack Eichel Is A “Priority”
While the situation with Kaprizov and the Wild remains fluid, things appear to be moving forward at a quicker pace for Eichel and the Golden Knights.
According to Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon, who recently acquired former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner, getting Eichel locked up to a new contract to remain in Sin City remains a “priority”.
“That’s a priority,” McCrimmon said. “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.”
Meanwhile, NHL Insider Pierre LeBrun indicated that he’d be “very surprised” if Eichel ultimately landed elsewhere next summer.
“The top priority at the moment, as he said, is to get Eichel extended,” he wrote. “My understanding is that there have been a few conversations to date on it. It’s still early stages. It doesn’t sound like anything is imminent, but there’s a lot of time to get it done, and I would be very surprised if it didn’t.”
Eichel was the second overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, which went to the Buffalo Sabres after their attempt to land the first overall pick and the right to select Connor McDavid went for naught.
The Oilers selected McDavid first overall, while the Sabres landed Eichel. However, Eichel’s relationship with the Sabres ended on bad terms, and he was traded to the Golden Knights on November 5, 2021.
While the Golden Knights missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs that season (to date, their only non-playoff year), they would win the franchise’s first Stanley Cup the following campaign, and there were few more thrilled players at T-Mobile Arena following the victory over the Florida Panthers than Eichel.
In the 2024 season, Eichel lit the lamp 28 times while adding another 66 assists in 77 games, establishing a new career-high of 94 points.
