Jack Eichel became eligible to sign an extension with the Vegas Golden Knights on July 1st. Other pending Unrestricted Free Agents, such as Connor McDavid and Kirill Kaprizov, received media attention. But with Eichel, there was never any indication that he’d consider leaving, and everyone assumed he’d sign within the hour.
Now, on the eve of Opening Night, Eichel still remains unsigned. And that’s not a problem– not yet. He has one year remaining at $10 million. However, the longer he goes without signing, the heavier the contract status will hang over the team.
Last Thursday, David Pagnotta reported on Daily Faceoff’s The Sheet that talks between the Golden Knights and Eichel’s camp had been “relatively slow,” citing the term as the hold-up.
It appears these talks have progressed since Pagnotta’s report. On Tuesday, ESPN reporter Emily Kaplan gave Golden Knights fans some positive news about the Eichel contract situation.
⚔️ @emilymkaplan on ESPN: Lot of urgency with Jack Eichel and #VegasBorn over last few days to get a contract extension done. Player is fixated on long term deal. “I still believe there’s a chance this gets done before [tomorrow night’s VGK opener].”
— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) October 8, 2025
“I’ve heard there’s a lot of urgency over the last few days to get this done,” began Kaplan. “Jack Eichel really likes it in Vegas; Vegas likes Jack Eichel. I’ve heard he has been fixated on a long-term deal. Remember, this is the last year that players can sign eight-year contracts. Starting next year, it’ll only be a seven-year max.
“The Golden Knights open up tomorrow night,” Kaplan finished. “And I still believe that there is a chance that this deal gets done before then. Again, a lot of urgency on both sides.”