Connor McDavid's team-friendly two-year, $25-million deal set a precedent for what a superstar is willing to do in order to win a Stanley Cup.
Now, all eyes are on elite players like Kyle Connor and Jack Eichel, both of whom are eligible to sign an extension at any time, to see what kind of returns they net on their next contracts.
For his part, Eichel told reporters that McDavid's deal with the Edmonton Oilers this week does not change negotiations that his camp is engaged in with the Vegas Golden Knights.
"Connor's got the right to do whatever he wants to do," Eichel said. “I talk to (my agent) every day. He’s in communication with the team. My job as a player is to play hockey, be a good teammate and be prepared to play (Wednesday) night. The other stuff will take care of itself.”
Notably, Eichel and the Golden Knights have already won a Stanley Cup, taking the crown in 2023 when they beat the Florida Panthers in five games.
The 28-year-old is coming off a big year in 2024-25, scoring 28 goals and registering a career-high 94 points in 77 regular-season games. He fell to McDavid's Edmonton Oilers in the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Eichel was selected second-overall in 2015 — right after McDavid — by the Buffalo Sabres, where he played for parts of six seasons before his 2021 trade to the Golden Knights. His previous contract, which took effect in 2018-19, was an eight-year, $80-million deal.
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