Hours before the start of the Vegas Golden Knights' season, star forward Jack Eichel signed a multi-season contract extension with the club.
Agreement, confirmed by the organization early eveninghas an eight-year term and will pay the 28-year-old an average of $13.5 million per year. Eichel has yet to complete the final season of the eight-year contract he signed in October 2017 with the Buffalo Sabers, which pays him an average of $10 million per campaign.
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Asked about his discussions with the Knights before the team's first game of the season on Tuesday, Eichel said he didn't see it as a distraction for himself or the group.
“I'm talking to Pat [Brisson, son agent] every day and he is in touch with the team, he had explained Athletic. My job is to play, be a good teammate, be ready, and everything else will take care of itself.”
Last season, Eichel scored 28 goals and 66 assists for 94 points in 77 games and added 10 points in 11 playoff games. The American center was acquired from the Sabers in November 2021 in a blockbuster trade that sent Peyton Krebs and Alex Tuch to Buffalo.
The No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 draft, just behind Connor McDavid, Eichel has scored 239 goals and 369 assists for 608 points in 618 games since his NHL debut.
