Jack Eichel’s Future Looms Large for the Golden Knights

When Jack Eichel went second overall to the Buffalo Sabres, fans saw him as the long-awaited star, the franchise centerpiece who could carry them out of the bottom of the standings. For a time, it looked like he might — until it didn’t.

In March 2021, a game against the New York Islanders changed everything. Eichel suffered a herniated cervical disc, an injury that sidelined him for the rest of the season while the Sabres spiraled to an 18-game losing streak.

After visiting doctors, they recommended that he get an artificial total disc, a replacement that the Sabres and Eichel never saw eye-to-eye on, resulting in a divorce.

“I’d be lying to say that things have moved smoothly since my injury,” Eichel said. “There’s been a bit of a disconnect between myself and the organization. It’s been tough at times. The most important thing now is to try to get healthy, figure out a way to be available to play hockey next year, wherever that might be.”

After months of constant drama between both sides, Eichel was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights on Nov. 4, 2021. Vegas would pay for the total disc arthroplasty replacement, and general manager Kelly McCrimmon had his next cornerstone superstar center.

Fast forward to the summer of 2025, and Eichel is once again at the center of a franchise-defining decision. Eligible for an extension as of July 1, he has yet to put pen to paper.

The expectation is that he’ll remain in Vegas. But for how long — and at what price? With the 2025-26 season looming, those are the questions that hang over the Golden Knights and their superstar.

The NHL Contract Landscape

The salary cap is going up, which is going to change the landscape of contracts in the NHL drastically. Players are going to make a lot more money, and teams will have a lot more money to work with.

A name that has been headlined lately is none other than Connor McDavid and his contract situation with the Edmonton Oilers. It’s assumed he’ll be back in north Alberta, but without an extension, it’s possible he could enter the season without one.

“(I’m taking) my time, going through it with obviously my family, my agent, everybody involved,” McDavid said. “We’re going through it slowly” (from ‘What to make of Connor McDavid’s latest comments about his future with the Oilers,’ The Athletic, 8/27/25).

All eyes will undoubtedly be on McDavid, but another name to watch that could help Eichel’s case is Kirill Kaprizov, who is also due for an extension. The Russian winger gets back to Minnesota in the next week, but owner Craig Leipold is confident the two will reach an extension.