Connor McDavid got a contract extension with the Edmonton Oilers on Monday, signing for two years and $12.5 million AAV. The deal is surprising to some people, considering he's the best player on the planet. After all, you can't set up Jack Eichel as the last free agent without some fanfare.
With Kirill Kaprizov staying in Minnesota and McDavid staying for another two years in Edmonton, that leaves Eichel without a new deal. Mind you, the Golden Knights begin the 2025-26 regular season this week, leaving fans frantically pacing around like they smelled McDavid's socks.
Not that Golden Knights fans cared about that.
But this isn't about a man with holes in his socks. This is about Eichel, who doesn't have holes in his socks. You see, the Golden Knights megastar's still without a new contract, entering the last year of his current eight-year, $80 million deal. That's not good enough for Golden Knights fans, especially when your rivals lock their superstar up for two years.
So, let's look at the main character of our story, shall we? Let's see where this puts Eichel's next deal. Does this put the burners on Kelly McCrimmon to get a deal done with his franchise player? Or does he still have that saving grace with the team after his slew of mid-season deals from last year?
Where Connor McDavid's deal puts Jack Eichel in the grand scheme of things
Remember how I talked about how Kelly McCrimmon had a particular grace period with Eichel? He earned that grace period after giving contract extensions to players like Shea Theodore, Brett Howden, and Adin Hill (to name a few) last season.
While that grace period still applies here, fans are growing more anxious after the McDavid deal. There's the obvious factor of not wanting to see your rival give their megastar a contract extension and seeing him for two years. But other factors come into play here.
McDavid left a ton of money on the table with Edmonton. Instead of taking a massive $17 million AVV (ballpark) deal, he's telling the Oilers to show him that they care about fielding a winning product. As mentioned, they've neglected the goaltending to the point where the Oilers had to literally outscore their opponents in barnburners. That's not optimal for winning Stanley Cups, especially if you're looking to end three decades of championship futility.
His team-first deal actually helps the Golden Knights, specifically if he rumors surrounding his term are true. If concerns are about the contract length as opposed to the amount of money, that's good news for Vegas in fitting in Eichel. The former Sabre wants to stay in Las Vegas and the two sides want each other.
So, what's the hold-up?
Does McDavid's deal complicate matters for Eichel and the Golden Knights?
No. Again, this shouldn't make things difficult for the Golden Knights and contract negotiations with their top superstar. The two sides have expressed interest in getting a deal done and want to make it happen.
Does this put the burners on McCrimmon to strike "gold" (waka waka) with his franchise face? Absolutely. Opposing fans will continue speculation and draw up outrageous lineups over the superstar's future whereabouts. Think of what fans of the New York Rangers and the Boston Bruins could cook up if Eichel doesn't get his deal.
But a Stanley Cup-winning general manager deserves some grace from the fanbase after orchestrating some franchise-altering deals. It doesn't matter if it's inking Mitch Marner to an eight-year deal or acquiring a former first-round pick from the Sabres. Still, he can't milk that reputation too much. Otherwise, the torches and pitchforks will come out on the Las Vegas strip.