May 15, 2025 | 7:15pm ET
TheFourthPeriod.com

EICHEL CONTRACT A PRIORITY FOR VEGAS

Jack Eichel, centre

The Vegas Golden Knights wrapped up their season on Wednesday, following a 1-0 overtime loss in Game 5 of their second-round matchup with the Edmonton Oilers in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

With aspirations of returning to the Stanley Cup Final, Vegas fell short this season and will soon have to regroup and focus on the 2025-26 campaign, as GM Kelly McCrimmon will aim to ice another contender next season.

The Golden Knights have $9.615 million in cap space going into next season with several free agents on the roster, including defenceman Nic Hague, who is eligible to become a restricted free agent this summer and will be their most important pending free agent to worry about.

Forwards Reilly Smith, Brandon Saad, Victor Olofsson and Tanner Pearson are set to become unrestricted free agents July 1, along with backup goaltender Ilya Samsonov.

In addition to Hague, forwards Alexander Holtz and Cole Schwindt are also set to become RFAs this summer.

But beyond Hague and the club’s other pending free agents, the future of star centre Jack Eichel will be No.1 on the team’s priority list this summer.

Eichel, 28, will be entering the final year of an eight-year, $80 million contract. The Knights have already voiced their desire to sign him to a long-term extension – presumably an eight-year deal – which they will be able to do starting July 1.

Contract negotiations between McCrimmon and Eichel’s agent Pat Brisson have not yet started, though the two sides have engaged in loose, unofficial discussions at various points this season.

It is not yet known when the two sides will buckle down and start negotiations, especially since the team’s season just ended, but conversations are likely to begin next month.

Hague, meanwhile, is in the final year of a three-year, $6,882,450 contract and is due for a substantial raise on his next deal.