2024-25 was a record-breaking season for Jack Eichel. The Vegas Golden Knights megastar set the single-season record in assists (66) and points (94). That was enough to earn him serious consideration amongst his NHL peers, skyrocketing him close to the Top Five.
Now, the pressure's on to get him a contract extension with the Golden Knights. His current deal expires after this upcoming season, leaving some fans panicking about him leaving. You wouldn't just let somebody walk away after breaking numerous records, would you?
That's especially true after the former second-overall pick broke another record in 2024-25. He set a remarkable pace that was previously set by Mark Stone in 2020-21. In fact, he did even better than his 2023-24 showing.
Which record are we talking about here? Well, you must go by the averages for this one. Mind you, only five Golden Knights have done this on a season-by-season basis. Yet, they haven't come close to sniffing 100 points the way that Eichel has. You can say that the 4 Nations Faceoff representative is... beyond above average.
Jack Eichel set the Vegas Golden Knights record for the most points per game in a single season with 1.22
1.22 points per game is an impressive number. It's basically sniffing the 100-point mark and get close to it. For Eichel, his record-breaking campaign last season consisted of him averaging more than a point per game.
In fact, he was 0.11 points better than Mark Stone in 2020-21, who had a solid campaign in a COVID-shortened season. Overall, it demonstrated that the Golden Knights have their elite center and shouldn't move away from him...
...At least, that's what the premise should be. The Golden Knights would be wise to hold onto their superstar for an eight-year deal, especially since most of the other candidates aren't capable. Stone's 33 years old and isn't getting younger, as is William Karlsson (32).
One can argue that Mitch Marner could be the one to break this record. While that's true, he's the only one that could break it. As mentioned, the Golden Knights don't have much regarding viable candidates to break this record.
Extending Jack Eichel should be done by viewing this record alone
The only other player in 2024-25 to average more than a point per game was Mark Stone (1.02). That's mainly because the Golden Knights are unique in their scoring habits. Nobody truly stands out as they partake in the team-building aspect.
While Mitch Marner moves them away from that front, the Golden Knights are still rather thin in this regard. Getting Eichel extended removes the need to search further. Unless McCrimmon plans on going after Connor McDavid next summer, this must be the play.
Still, Eichel would be a better option based on his potential price tag. You're not forking over $16-$17 million and the fans are okay with having him average more than a point per game. Just ask anybody on Twitter (or X, as Musk is calling it these days) about which player the Golden Knights fan base would be fine with.
Here's hoping that McCrimmon looks at Hockey Reference on his day off. That way, he can see the true value of what the former Hobey Baker winner brings to the table.