Sources: Jack Eichel and Golden Knights reach 8-year extension

Jack Eichel and the Vegas Golden Knights have agreed to an eight-year extension worth an average annual value of $13.5 million, sources tell ESPN.

The deal came just hours before the Golden Knights opened their season Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Kings in Las Vegas.

Eichel’s camp and the Golden Knights intensified their discussions as training camp opened, with both sides determined to reach a long-term deal before the season.

Eichel, 28, was entering the final year of an eight-year, $10 million cap hit deal he originally signed with the Buffalo Sabers, who drafted him.

Buffalo traded Eichel to the Golden Knights in 2021.

The American-born center helped Vegas win its first Stanley Cup in 2023, scoring 26 points in 22 games during the playoffs. Eichel is one of six players already named to the U.S. team for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic Games.

The Golden Knights should be Stanley Cup contenders, especially after adding winger Mitch Marner this summer. Eichel and Marner are expected to play together on Vegas’ top line in its first game against the Kings.

The deal removes another big name from the roster of what could have been a star-studded free agent class next summer. Connor McDavid re-signed a two-year contract with the Edmonton Oilers earlier this week, and Kirill Kaprizov signed an eight-year contract with the Minnesota Wild before the season.