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Jack Eichel to join the Chicago Blackhawks next season was confirmed: Per insider Elliotte Friedman
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The NHL insider Elliotte Friedman confirmed Jack Eichel's fate ahead of free agency.
Jack Eichel, set to become a free agent on July 1st, will generate a lot of interest on the market if he ends up being available. This is why the Vegas Golden Knights' general manager Kelly McCrimmon is likely to do all he can to sign him as soon as possible.
The GM opened up during his end-of-season media availability, saying he hoped to reach a deal with the player soon:
"The guy is a tremendous player. He's one of the top guys in the NHL. He's got great character and great leadership. You see night in and night out what he does for our team. So that will be a really important piece of business for us. I sure hope to keep Jack in our organization. Jack loves it here. I hope we can find common ground and keep him a Golden Knight."
However, recent reports suggested that the Chicago Blackhawks could be interested in acquiring him:
"Perhaps they'll now consider taking a run at Eichel in an effort to both placate their 19-year-old star and add legitimate prime-years talent into the top six. Eichel would be a prized trinket for whoever is hired as the team's new full-time coach, and he'd also fit nicely into its salary structure as the league's cap annually expands to $95.5 million, $104 million and $113.5 million through 2028."
Unfortunately for Hawks fans, in a recent intervention, Elliotte Friedman confirmed that he would be surprised to see Eichel sign for another team other than the Golden Knights.
In his own words:
"But every summer, when you think when they (Vegas) think they can win and they think they can win, you better be prepared for them to take a big swing at something. And it's pretty obvious, you know, Eichel is an unrestricted free agent in a year. He's eligible for an extension.
They will do whatever they need to do around making sure that gets taken care of. They're happy with him. He's happy with them.
You know, these negotiations, they're always a grind. That's what negotiators do. They grind.
But I can't see. I would be shocked if he is anywhere but Vegas in a year from now. Shocked."
They will do whatever they need to do around making sure that gets taken care of. They're happy with him. He's happy with them.
You know, these negotiations, they're always a grind. That's what negotiators do. They grind.
But I can't see. I would be shocked if he is anywhere but Vegas in a year from now. Shocked."
It would be surprising to see Eichel play somewhere else next season, but if a team makes him an offer he can't refuse, it could happen.
Previously on Chicago Hockey Insider
| POLL | ||
MAI 22 | 446 ANSWERS Jack Eichel to join the Chicago Blackhawks next season was confirmed: Per insider Elliotte Friedman Do you think Jack Eichel will sign with the Vegas Golden Knights this summer? | ||
| Yes | 290 | 65 % |
| No | 156 | 35 % |
| List of polls | ||
