The Buffalo Sabres reached an agreement to sign their franchise player, Jack Eichel, to an NHL-maximum eight-year, $80 million contract.
The team announced the signing on its Twitter account on Tuesday night in a deal reached two days before Buffalo plays host to the Montreal Canadiens in the season opener.
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. Though both sides have discussed signing an eight-year deal, they have had difficulty agreeing on the deal's value.
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 Kings star Anze Kopitar on the NHL list of annual average salaries.
Wilson suspended
After four seasons of playing on the edge without incurring a suspension, Tom Wilson has now been disciplined twice in less than two weeks and is on notice.
The NHL suspended the Capitals right winger for the first four games of the regular season for boarding Blues forward Sammy Blais in each team's preseason finale Sunday. Wilson had recently been suspended for two exhibition games Sept. 23 for a late hit on Blues rookie Robert Thomas.
