After months of anticipation, the 2025-26 season finally begins Tuesday, October 7. For the Vegas Golden Knights, the opener can’t come soon enough.
Despite landing Mitch Marner in free agency, they’ve stumbled to a 3-4 preseason record, a turn of events that has raised early concerns. However, the preseason struggles pale in comparison to a looming contract headache.
Jack Eichel is entering the final year of his deal, and one insider believes Vegas’s bitter rivalry with Edmonton could force the Golden Knights into overpaying significantly to keep Eichel in town.
Insider Believes Jake Eichel Is Eyeing Oilers’ $14M Deal As Benchmark
Since arriving from Buffalo in 2021, Jack Eichel has transformed into the face of the Vegas franchise. With Eichel in the lineup, the Golden Knights developed into perennial Stanley Cup contenders and captured the championship in 2023.
With Eichel entering the final year of his eight-year, $80 million contract, Vegas has made re-signing him its top offseason priority. But while negotiations have barely begun, one insider believes the Golden Knights may face an unexpectedly steep price tag to retain their franchise center.
The Oilers have emerged as one of the Golden Knights’ biggest playoff rivals over the past few seasons. The two teams have already faced off against each other twice, with each taking a win. And Elliotte Friedman believes this bitter rivalry could cost Vegas dearly at the negotiating table.
On the latest episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Friedman told co-host Kyle Bukauskas that negotiations are heating up behind the scenes. “He’s back in the cone of silence, but I think there’s a lot of work getting done on this now,” Friedman said.
He continued, “I think the Golden Knights and the reps are trying to get this one done. I’ll tell you what I heard here. I heard that in the summer, when they signed Marner, they knew that Eichel was going to go past him. And I think Vegas was comfortable with that.”
However, he also revealed an intriguing theory from another player around the league.
“He wonders if the fierce head-to-head rivalry between Edmonton and Vegas has Eichel looking at Draisaitl’s number. He kind of just wondered if Eichel looks at Draisaitl and says, ‘That’s where I am,’” Friedman explained.
While the source was half-joking, Friedman acknowledged the logic. Just like Draisaitl or McDavid, Eichel is the franchise’s top star, and with 94 points just this past season, the center is in top form. Nothing’s stopping him from targeting the same $14 million AAV that Draisaitl is getting right now.
He could even wait until McDavid resets the market next summer before naming his price. For now, Vegas must balance these high-stakes negotiations with preparing for its October 8 season opener against the Los Angeles Kings.