Bargain Bin: Kyle Connor, Oilers, Eichel, Hutson & More (10/10/2025)

In this week’s edition of Bargain Bin, Kyle Connor commits to Winnipeg long term, the Edmonton Oilers made a flurry of signings, Lane Hutson’s next contract is projected, Jack Eichel receives a massive payday in Vegas, and Max Pacioretty retires from professional hockey.

Kyle Connor Commits to Winnipeg Long Term

The Winnipeg Jets locked up Kyle Connor to the richest contract in franchise history with a total of $96 million to be paid out over the contract’s duration.

Connor is set to make $12 million per season with a full no-movement clause and various signing bonuses from year to year.

The big-ticket extension is proof that players want to play in Winnipeg, especially long-term. Connor’s received a contract that no other Winnipeg Jet in history had received, but it’s also a sign that the team is pushing toward their goal of winning a Stanley Cup sometime soon.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet provided one of the best breakdowns of how this went down. He also noted that this contract was a shift in organizational philosophy for Winnipeg, given that they’ve never pursued a contract like Connor’s before.

One has to wonder what made Connor stay and Ehlers depart from Winnipeg. There’s been a ton of buzz over the past few days regarding how Winnipeg treats its players and staff. However, that’s not something I’ll dive into in this week’s Bargain Bin.

Oilers Sign Roslovic & Re-Sign Ekholm, McDavid, & Walman

The Edmonton Oilers were active over the past week as they’ve added forward Jack Roslovic on a one-year, $1.5 million contract. They also re-signed defenseman Matias Ekholm and Jake Walman, and franchise forward Connor McDavid to contracts.

Ekholm received a three-year deal worth $4 million per season, Walman got a seven-year deal worth $7 million per season, while McDavid didn’t receive a pay raise by adding two years to his $12.5 million cap hit.

McDavid’s extension is a massive win for Edmonton, and also a potential sign that money isn’t the worry; winning could be the only thing on McDavid’s mind.

Adding Roslovic provides significant depth to a decently deep Oilers team, but the team got to a point where adding veteran depth that immediately helps them is the biggest question.

Lane Hutson Contract Projection

Lane Hutson’s next contract has been a significant talking point over the last while. Emily Kaplan of ESPN reported just a few days ago that Hutson was willing to take a long-term extension just under Noah Dobson’s $9.5 million AAV. However, with Jackson LaCombe and Luke Hughes re-signing for big extensions, that has changed the landscape.

Some projections see the 2025 Calder-winning defenseman making as much as $11.5 million, but it’s most likely that an extension comes in under the $11 million mark. The NHL network did a great job at breaking it down, and it’s certainly going to be interesting if these extension talks play out longer and it drives the price up even more.

Jack Eichel Re-Signs in Vegas

Jack Eichel has re-signed on an eight-year contract extension in Vegas, and now Vegas has $25.5 million locked up between two players on their top line. So far, Eichel has been incredible for the Golden Knights, but his slight pay bump from $10 million to $13.5 million a season raises eyebrows.

The long-term worry about the player’s health being able to hold up was the main discussion point.. Since leaving Buffalo, that hasn’t been a massive worry, but the contract takes Eichel until he’s 37. Eichel’s strong play since joining Vegas has earned him a Stanley Cup in 2023, but his play took off in 2024-25 with a 94-point (28G, 66A) season.

Given that Eichel now has Mitch Marner on his line, he could hit the 100-point mark, and maybe even get another Stanley Cup ring or two in this contract’s duration.

Max Pacioretty Retires From Professional Hockey

A quick hit: Max Pacioretty has retired from professional hockey after joining the University of Michigan’s coaching staff. After 17 seasons in the NHL and his last being with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pacioretty went back to where he played one season in college.

Pacioretty spent the majority of his NHL career with the Montreal Canadiens before ending up in Vegas, Carolina, Washington, and Toronto. He didn’t hit the 1,000-game mark, but his 939 NHL game resume makes him a solid coaching candidate. He posted 681 points (335G, 346A) in his NHL career and saw the postseason multiple times.