According to NHL insider Frank Serevalli, the Vegas Golden Knights star center Jack Eichel could surpass Leon Draisaitl as the highest-paid player in the NHL, supposedly reaching a potential sum of $15 million AAV. However, that title likely wont last long as Connor McDavid's new deal is just on the horizon, and Eichel's extension could have a massive influence in how McDavid's new deal shapes up.
Eichel is among a plethora of extremely talented players who are set to become free agents at the end of next season, some including Kirill Kaprizov, Artemi Panarin, and Connor McDavid himself. With Eichel's contract set to be one of many to be dished out over the course of the season, his AAV number could cause some major shake ups in contract negotiations between McDavid and the Oilers.
Reaching a sum of $15 million AAV would not only be massive for him, and for hockey itself, but it would be massive in McDavid's pursuit to become the first $20 million AAV player in NHL history, and Eichel's deal may make that just a bit easier. McDavid's current salary of $12.5 million annually sits as the fourth-highest AAV in the NHL, just behind Nathan MacKinnon ($12.6 million), Auston Matthews ($13.25 million), and teammate Leon Draisaitl's league-high $14 million AAV.
Given that Eichel does wind up earning that $15 million figure, McDavid and his counterparts will be licking their chops come negotiations. With Kaprizov likely to reach somewhat the same AAV of $14-15 million, it will be more than realistic for McDavid to reach $20 million.
It is 100% for sure that McDavid will make at least the same as Eichel given he does sign for $15 million, but whether that is a couple million more reaching the $16-17 million range, or whether he protests his true worth and reaches the big 20 we don't know. However, if Eichel reaches 15, and maybe if Kaprizov signs early and reaches the same, using those two contracts as leverage is well within McDavid's rights, and the impact could be massive in the contract negotiations.
Stan Bowman and the Oilers will try to keep it under $20 million, that's for sure, but Vegas extending Eichel by $5 million will definitely make much more difficult, making it a sweet bargaining chip for the three-time Hart Trophy winner.