Who is the highest-paid Golden Knights player?

Hockey is an interesting sport. It consists of 12 forwards, six defensemen, and a goaltender playing to win the ultimate prize: The Stanley Cup. Each NHL team is given this slate every year, working to make the pieces fit. It can be an excruciating task for any franchise involved.

Just ask the Vegas Golden Knights, who've tried balancing their salary cap situation this offseason. That consisted of letting players like Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson walk. In turn, it helps the Golden Knights plan for the future, where they can retain players like Jack Eichel.

It's not a fun world balancing out contracts with limited space. However, Kelly McCrimmon has done an excellent job making tough decisions, with older players like Marc-Andre Fleury leaving. Granted, the fan backlash has been potent at the time. However, it did win them a Stanley Cup.

With that, there's an interesting question regarding who has the highest contract on the team. Is it Mark Stone, the team captain who serves as the leader? Is it Alex Pietrangelo, who's one of the elite defensemen in the NHL? Who has this honor of earning the most on the Golden Knights?

Jack Eichel is the highest-paid player on the Vegas Golden Knights

With an AAV of $10 million, Jack Eichel is the highest-paid player on the Vegas Golden Knights. Originally acquired from the Buffalo Sabres, the Massachusetts native has become a focal point of the Golden Knights. He improves every aspect of the offense, including the power play. While names like Mark Stone are also valuable, Eichel makes the offense go.

The highest-paid defenseman is none other than Alex Pietrangelo, who earns $8.8 million per season. He was signed from the St. Louis Blues in 2020, inking a seven-year, $61.6 million deal. The Canadian defenseman went on to win another Stanley Cup.

As for the goaltenders? That honor goes to LTIR regular, Robin Lehner. He's in the last year of his current contract, where he earns $5 million this season. Fans will miss his services to the LTIR aspect, where his noble sacrifice created more cap space for bigger names. Thank you for your service, Robin Lehner.

Could there be big names that eclipse Eichel's $10 million AAV in the future? With rumors floating around about the Golden Knights exploring big-name Maple Leafs stars, they could add another long-term piece. However, that's not something Vegas hockey fans should worry about now. Instead, the focus should be on the upcoming season when the Golden Knights return to T-Mobile Arena.