BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Jack Eichel said while he's thoroughly enjoyed his two seasons in Buffalo, he has a lot to prove to a city and the fans that have put all their hope in the Sabres young superstar.

The soon-to-be 21-year-old just signed an NHL maximum eight-year, $80 million contract, and was hanging out with friends and fellow young cornerstones Sam Reinhart and Jake McCabe when he got the call from franchise owner Terry Pegula.

"It just seemed like a great deal and obviously, the goal here is to have a great team over the next-however-many-years and I want to be a part of that," said the third-year pro, when asked if he left money on the table so the team could become more of a force.

"There's going to be opportunities where there's going to be other guys that'll be a big part of that so I'm happy to be sitting here and knowing that I'm going to be a part of this organization for the next nine years."

"There was compromise on both sides," said General Manager Jason Botterill. "We wanted to make sure that four or five years from now, Jack and his family was very excited about being in Buffalo and very comfortable with the contract."

The team announced the signing Tuesday night, two days before Buffalo hosts the Montreal Canadiens in the season opener.