Breathe in...
Breathe out...
Don't fart.
Taste that? That's the flavor of the 2025-26 NHL regular season coming back next week. After a couple of weeks of rigorous training camps and preseason action, we're finally at the finish line. That means screaming at the Vegas Golden Knights to shoot the puck and dreading January. Judging by the preseason, plenty of people will scream for pucks to be shot.
After being eliminated by those bitter rivals from Edmonton, Alberta, the Golden Knights made some slight modifications. Now, fans are breathing easier with a top superstar to join Jack Eichel. In fact, many experts believe that Vegas is the frontrunner for the Stanley Cup.
How cool is that?
But do you want to know what's also cool? These three things. After all, you can't head into the 2025-26 season without some things to get excited about. It's like traveling to a new country without having an itinerary set. What fun is that? Let's dive into these three things and see what's getting Golden Knights fans across the world excited!
1.) What will Mitch Marner do with Jack Eichel on the top line?
No, I don't care too much about whether Marner takes 200 more offensive-zone faceoffs to match Nathan MacKinnon. What do you think I am, a 30-something Canadian nihilist with a taste for indie music and Jets football? That's why Marner left Toronto to hang out with dolphins, rainbows, and Sabrina Carpenter fans. The latter sounds much more appealing than doomer content, you know.
Instead, I'm looking forward to seeing what the former Maple Leafs star can do with Jack Eichel. Last season, he had 102 points with Toronto, making him one of the most valuable players for the Original Six franchise.
This time, he has a chance to silence those critics and serve them a side of espresso. He's looked terrific and quick with Eichel during line rushes, showing he's got he offensive chops to handle the heavy workload. That's why I'm excited to see where Marner goes for the 2025-26 season and beyond.
2.) What will Adin Hill do for an encore?
Last season, Adin Hill did so well that he earned a six-year contract extension worth $37.5 million. That's what you get for putting up a GAA of 2.47 and a save percentage of .906. That's not even mentioning how he notched four shutouts last season while playing a career-high 50 games.
While Hill's been chillin' and Hillin', he faces a daunting task. That consists of a revamped blue line that's smaller, along with some new faces. Will he crack under the pressure, or will there be a Part 2 of "Adin Hill Is So Flippin' Great?"
3.) Can the Vegas Goldnen Knights power play duplicate its success?
What does a power play unit that was second-best in the NHL (28.3%) do for an encore? Why, they add Mitch Marner to the mix and bolster their lineup. Last season, the former "Core Four" member had 27 power play assists, making him one of the key players on the unit.
One better question is what will the Golden Knights do with all these power play options? That's partially why I'm excited to see where this unit heads. They have the potential to light up the NHL world whenever they have the man advantage.