Like much of the NHL, the Vegas Golden Knights are preparing for the offseason. Vegas lost in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs to the Edmonton Oilers, so their offseason leg work begins—and it starts with star forward Jack Eichel.
Eichel is a free agent in the summer of 2026. The Golden Knights star turned in a career-best performance in 2024-25. He has played an important role on this team since arriving in the Sin City. And general manager Kelly McCrimmon hopes to keep him around for the long haul.
“The guy is a tremendous player,” McCrimmon said of Eichel, via NHL.com’s Paul Delos Santos. “He’s one of the top guys in the NHL. He’s got great character and great leadership. You see night in and night out what he does for our team. So that will be a really important piece of business for us. I sure hope to keep Jack in our organization. Jack loves it here. I hope we can find common ground and keep him a Golden Knight.”
Jack Eichel Discusses Upcoming Contract Talks
Luke Hales/Getty ImagesThe Vegas Golden Knights hope to keep Jack Eichel from reaching NHL Free Agency in 2026.
Should Eichel reach NHL Free Agency, there will be no shortage of suitors for his services. The Golden Knights star is 15th in the league for Wins Above Replacement (8.7) over the last three seasons, per Evolving Hockey. Additionally, he is 13th in Goals For Percentage (60.62%) and Goals For Per 60 Minutes (3.41).
Suffice it to say, Eichel has found personal success in Vegas. He also raised the Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights in 2023. The relationship between team and player has worked to this point. And the former No. 2 overall pick is interested in extending the partnership.
“With that stuff, it’s sort of out of my control,” he said, via Santos. “I just try to focus on the things that I can control. Contractually, I think those things kind of take care of itself. I’ll just worry about trying to prepare for next season, this offseason.
“It’s a phenomenal place to play hockey, live, and be a part of. It’s a great group of people to come to work with every day. I can’t say enough about my teammates, the people in this building, and the people that make this organization what it is. I am super proud to be part of this organization and this city and to represent the Vegas Golden Knights.”
Eichel Addresses Golden Knights Defeat vs. Oilers
The Golden Knights wanted their season to end with another championship. However, they could not advance past the Oilers in the second round. Edmonton won the series in five games, with depth forward Kasperi Kapanen scoring the winning goal in overtime.
“Everyone really left it out there,” Eichel said of his team’s playoff exit, via Santos. “It’s unfortunate it’s over, but there’s only one (team) who goes home happy at the end of the year. Everyone else is looking for answers on how to win. So we’re going to reassess it and figure out what we can do better and be the last team.”
Eichel has led the Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup in recent memory. There is certainly no reason to believe he couldn’t find similar success in Vegas again, despite this defeat. Of course, that is dependent on how the upcoming contract talks between the two sides play out.
Golden Knights GM Makes Commitment on Jack Eichel Contract Talks