The New York Rangers hired head coach Mike Sullivan to be part of a culture change with the hopes that his Stanley Cup experience can guide the team to their first title in over 30 years, and they likely looked at his ties to USA Hockey as a plus for attracting specific talent.
One such player is a center that the Rangers have coveted for quite sometime, and a look at their salary cap situation suggests that they have been preparing for the moment he hits free agency after failing to land him via trade back in 2021. But that plan may have hit a snag based on reports from Elliotte Friedman on the latest episode of 32 Thoughts.
After having a very disappointing season in which the team went from President's Trophy winner to missing the playoffs in just a year's time, it is clear that the Rangers want to mix things up in the top six, and create a new core.
It's not hard to connect the dots and say that President and General Manager Chris Drury would love to sign Jack Eichel, but he may not even get the chance.
"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.Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts podcast
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."
Eichel's contract is up at the end of the 2025-26 season, and it expires at the same time as Artemi Panarin's deal and one year ahead of Chris Kreider's. Kreider is a forward the Rangers might look to trade, and doing so would give the team more financial flexibility. Eichel makes sense for a number of reasons, primarily because he's a true elite No. 1 center who has won a Cup and produced in the playoffs.
When the Rangers acquired J.T. Miller, he took the top spot after Mika Zibanejad moved to the wing. Vincent Trocheck slotted behind him as the No. 2 center, and then there were a couple of different players who spent time in the middle on the third and fourth lines. The Miller move always felt like a precursor to another transaction because he is 32 years old, and his best hockey is likely behind him. In many ways he's an ideal second liner, and Trocheck at $5.625 million would make a great third liner.
This can only happen if the team lands a No. 1 center, and Eichel is clearly the player they want. Drury pushed hard in 2021, but according to Vincent Mercogliano of Lohud, there were "too many roadblocks to pull off a trade."
Eichel is coming off a career year in which he scored 28 goals and added 66 assists for 94 points in 77 games. Since joining the Golden Knights he's put up a line of 100-153-253 in 241 regular season games, and 10-33-43 in 40 playoff games. He will turn 30 in the first month of the 2026-27 season, and projects to be a player who can fit the team's profile of trying to win right now during the remaining prime of Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox while the team looks to add some younger talent to balance things out.
The good news for the Rangers is that they should get a sense of what Eichel is going to do soon. He's eligible for a contract extension in July, and if he doesn't sign before the season there is some hope he could be an option. If he does re-up with Vegas, at least they will have some time to regroup and focus on another target.
Things could be trending that way, as Eichel has already commented on his status.
""Can't say enough about my teammates and the people in this building and the people that make this organization what it is," Eichel said. "I'm super proud to be part of this organization and the city and represent the Vegas Golden Knights. Contractually, I think things kind of take care of itself. I'll just worry about trying to prepare for next season this offseason and go from there.""Jack Eichel via ESPN
Eichel would be a great fit for the squad. It is clear why they have been interested in him in the past, and why they may try and sign him in the future. At this point they just need to wait and see what happens, and have a good backup plan if he doesn't hit the free agent board.