Eichel inks extension with Sabres, joins $10M a year club
In wake of McDavid’s deal, his former draft rival signs after drawn-out negotation
BUFFALO, N.Y.— The Buffalo Sabres have reached an agreement to sign their franchise player, Jack Eichel, to an NHL-maximum eight-year, $80million (U.S.) contract.
The team announced the signing on its twitter account on Tuesday night.
Eichel is entering the final year of his three-year entry level contract and only eligible to become a restricted free agent next summer.
The deal was reached after talks had cooled for much of the past six weeks.
Eichel was the second player selected in the 2015 draft, one spot behind Edmonton’s Connor McDavid. The Oilers’ captain signed an eight-year, $100-million contract extension in July, making him the NHL’s top-paid player on a per-season basis.
In averaging $10 million per season, Eichel ties Los Angeles Kings star Anze Kopitar on the NHL list of annual average salaries.
The NHL has suspended Washington Capitals right winger Tom Wilson for four games for boarding St. Louis Blues forward Sammy Blais.
The league’s department of player safety announced the suspension Tuesday.
Wilson, who will forfeit $97,561 in salary, is considered a repeat offender after being suspended for two preseason games for a late hit on Blues rookie Robert Thomas last month.
The 23-year old will be eligible to return Oct. 13 against New Jersey.
Wilson said Tuesday he’s a player who finishes big checks, which makes him the subject of attention.
The Vancouver Canucks have acquired defenceman Derrick Pouliot from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenceman Andrey Pedan and a fourth-round selection in the 2018 NHL draft.
The Canucks hope the 23-year-old Pouliot will reach his potential under new coach Travis Green after failing to catch on in Pittsburgh. Pouliot was a star in junior with the Western Hockey League’s Portland Winterhawks, where Green was an assistant coach.
The Penguins drafted the six-foot, 208-pound Pouliot eighth overall in the 2012 draft. But Pouliot appeared in just 67 games over three seasons in Pittsburgh.
The six-foot-five, 213-pound Pedan played 52 games for the AHL’s Utica Comets last season, registering five goals, five assists and 100 penalty minutes. The Buffalo Sabres have assigned 2016 first-round draft pick Alexander Nylander to the minors as part of a series of moves to set their roster.
Forward Sean Malone joined Nylander in being demoted to Buffalo’s American Hockey League affiliate in Rochester. The Sabres also placed forward Evan Rodrigues and defenceman Justin Falk on injured reserve.