Could there be a proverbial light at the end of the tunnel regarding Jack Eichel's contract talks? That might be the case, according to an insider who appeared on Bleacher Report. According to Frank Seravalli, he expects a deal to surface before the Vegas Golden Knights' season opener against the Los Angeles Kings.
"I still predict a deal to materialize for Eichel and the Golden Knights before opening night."Frank Seravalli
What's more, Eichel could get a friendlier deal than anticipated. In fact, Kirill Kaprizov's recent deal allegedly doesn't play into the negotiations too much.
"He's not signing somewhere else...they've got him, so it's probably gonna end up in that $13-$13.5m, maybe [Kaprizov] pushes it to $14."Frank Seravalli on RK&B
If you had a guy who scored a franchise-high 66 assists and 94 points in a regular season, you'd want to get him locked up in the long term, too. That's no different with Eichel, who's entering the last year of his current eight-year, $80 million deal.
Getting a deal done before the season starts comes with some benefits. Obviously, you don't have contract extension talks being a major distraction for the Golden Knights. That would benefit the Marner-Eichel connection immensely, especially if you're looking to bring another Stanley Cup home. But it goes beyond getting rid of the distractions.
Vegas Golden Knights fans will rejoice at the sight of Jack Eichel getting a deal done
Although the Golden Knights have until July to give him an extension before he walks, putting the fan's worries to bed should be the organization's top priority. As mentioned, you don't want distractions to take away from a Stanley Cup-contending season.
Sure, Kelly McCrimmon has done contract extensions during the regular season before. That includes prominent names such as Shea Theodore, Adin Hill, and Brayden McNabb. However, the fans gravitate towards Eichel like nobody else.
He's ingrained himself within the community and proved that he belongs in the NHL at a high level. I mean, the guy literally took a shift at Raising Cane's, for crying out loud. That should say something about the man's commitment to the community, right? People in Upstate New York don't even know...
After all, he escaped a toxic situation in Buffalo, where he didn't win anything. When you go from a perennial loser to playing on a Stanley Cup-winning team, that should inspire confidence in anybody's game. That's especially true for Eichel, who was in a raging war with his former team over which surgery he should get.
Here's hoping that the proverbial light is at the end of the tunnel for the former second-overall pick's contract negotiations. He's the heart and soul of a terrific Golden Knights team and does everything to make his group better. That should inspire confidence in a fanbase hungry for another Stanley Cup.
Heck, that should also inspire confidence in Eichel himself. He can prove himself worthy with a big season if he gets his deal, specifically with Robin (Mitch Marner) on his line. Who knows? He could continue proving the skeptics wrong with another massive season. You can call that "getting your money's worth."