When Jack Eichel does sign his contract extension with the Buffalo Sabres, you can bet it will keep him in Buffalo for quite a while.
Sabres general manager Jason Botterill spoke to WROC-TV on Tuesday, where he spoke of getting Eichel inked to a long-term deal.
“At the end of the day, we certainly want to get Jack signed up for the maximum amount of term possible,” said Botterill. “He has the same belief and all our discussions with him have been very positive about the contract, but also just about his season and preparation in general.”
Eichel has one year remaining on his entry-level contract before he becomes a restricted free agent. The overwhelming expectation is that the No. 2 pick of the 2015 NHL Draft will sign an extension long before the end of the 2017-18 season.
The maximum amount of years the Sabres can give him is eight, the same amount given to Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl by the Edmonton Oilers this summer.
“It’s obviously a little bit of a new market this summer with some of the different contracts that have come out,” said Botterill, who will also see Sam Reinhart become an RFA in the summer of 2018.
The 20-year-old Eichel had a sophomore season spoiled by a high-ankle sprain, but he still notched 57 points to surpass his rookie total, and he once again hit the 24-goal mark despite playing in just 61 games.
It seems both he and the team are interested in signing for eight years. Now they just need to come together on a dollar amount.
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