Kaprizov's extension could make Eichel's next payday eye-popping

On Tuesday, I woke up to some jaw-dropping numbers. Initially, I thought that Jack Eichel got a contract extension with the Vegas Golden Knights, ending the world's longest game of chicken. However, I was misled.

Instead, it was Kirill Kaprizov sticking around on an eight-year, $136 million deal with the Minnesota Wild. For all the talk about Kaprizov potentially leaving the Wild for greener pastures, it went up in smoke on Tuesday after inking a new deal.

There's good reason why he earned such a lucrative deal. He has 185 goals and 201 assists in his five-year career, making him one of the most underrated wingers in the NHL. Prior to last season, he had three straight seasons of 40 or more goals with the Wild.

Looking at this deal, the speculation of the Russian forward going to the Golden Knights goes up in smoke. Fans were imagining the impossible dream of pairing Kaprizov with Eichel and Marner together, only for him to get paid to play at home.

But, there are other ramifications to a potential Eichel deal. What could be the consequences of Kaprizov's new contract with Prince's home hockey team? Could the deal price out the Golden Knights superstar and have him going somewhere else?

What Kirill Kaprizov's new deal means for Jack Eichel's potential deal with the Vegas Golden Knights

First, Eichel's potential deal should be the first deal done by Kelly McCrimmon. While Pavel Dorofeyev's restricted free agency looms large (specifically with arbitration rights), Eichel gets priority based on his proven track record. That's not a knock on last season's leading goal scorer, but more of a credit to Eichel being a proven commodity.

Also, that could mean that one of the core players gets sacrificed for next season. Some names that come to mind include William Karlsson ($5.9 million cap hit, last year of his current deal in 2026-27), Keegan Kolesar ($2.5 million cap hit, two years left in 2026-27), and Ivan Barbashev ($5 million cap hit, two years left in 2026-27).

But there's a catch with these players. Two have no-trade lists (Barbashev has a five-team no-trade list while Karlsson has a 10-team no-trade list). Moving off these contracts won't be easy, specifically if you're moving off aging players. Plus, McCrimmon has made it clear he's committed to said players. He could shift his priorities to other players with fewer restrictions to work a deal.

The good news about a potential Eichel deal

It's been mentioned numerous times, yet it bears repeating. There's plenty of time to get a deal done, as McCrimmon has shown during the regular season. Kolesar, Shea Theodore, and Adin Hill are perfect examples of this, easing the pressure off the general manager.

Still, Kaprizov's newest deal will put the burners on McCrimmon to get a deal done. You don't want to let your superstar walk to another team, especially after signing Mitch Marner to an eight-year, $96 million deal. Why sign somebody when you've already gotten a player who's instantly gelling with the big name?

Having a Stanley Cup in your backpocket can ease the pressure off you. However, letting your superstar go to another team will put it back on. That's a situation that Minnesota didn't want to learn, and neither should Vegas.