Vegas Golden Knights fans remember the Mark Stone-Jack Eichel-Ivan Barbashev line vividly. Last season, the trio had 27 goals for and 19 goals against, making for a successful group. That equaled a Goals% of 58.7, creating electricity in Las Vegas.
The advanced stats tell a deeper story. The group did better than expected with their circumstances, playing sound defense while providing timely goals (stats from MoneyPuck).
Line | Expected Goals For | Expected Goals Against | Expected Goals For Per 60 Minutes | Expected Goals Against Per 60 Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Barbashev-Stone-Eichel | 21.2 | 20.2 | 2.75 | 2.62 |
That's pretty good, right? Well, people got tired of seeing five million passes in a hockey game and wanted some shooting done. I don't know whether people realized that Jack Eichel had the second-most shots on goal last season (233).
However, Bruce Cassidy is thinking about bringing that line back. He brought it out for a test-drive on Saturday against the Seattle Kraken, bumping Mitch Marner down with Tomas Hertl and Pavel Dorofeyev.
Barbashev—Eichel—Stone back together for the time being https://t.co/K5x99BPT41
— Hannah Kirkell (@h_kirk6) October 12, 2025
Considering how successful the group was last season, it's no surprise that Cassidy is giving them another go. An established group of veterans that understand the game makes for an excellent line, especially when you need a spark.
In fact, it could be the spark that Vegas needs overall. They've been underwhelming in the first three games despite having four points. It felt like the team could do a little more to get to the breathtaking expectations that they're accustomed to.
What does a potential line reunion of Mark Stone, Jack Eichel, and Ivan Barbashev mean for the Vegas Golden Knights?
On the spark note, the trio was responsible for last season's 9-4-2 start. Barbashev was rolling through December 15, where he had 15 goals and 15 assists. Eichel used that hot start to set franchise-highs in assists (66) and points (94). Stone managed to average a point per game (1.02 points per game last season).
It's easy to see why Cassidy gave this line for a test-drive again. All three players had a collective spark when playing together, looking solid in transition. On top of that, you have an accurate goal-scorer in Barbashev alongside Eichel.
While that sounds nice, the bigger question remains regarding Mitch Marner. What happens to him? Will there be a problem with the new winger being bumped down?
Golden Knights fans have nothing to worry about with Marner potentially playing with Pavel Dorofeyev and Tomas Hertl
Fans must understand one thing with Bruce Cassidy: this is his team. He's not one to let distractions get in the Golden Knights' way. If somebody doesn't like what's going on, he's known to step aside with them and set expectations. That's what good coaches do, after all.
One should expect Marner to understand this, especially with a proven Stanley Cup winner like Vegas. The expectation is to win Stanley Cups, not being distracted by an authoritarian media. No longer does the former "Core Four" member have to worry about province-run media ruling over his life.
Besides, Marner has more exciting opportunities to work with. Dorofeyev and Hertl were the two-highest goal-scorers for Vegas last season. If Cassidy decides to keep Marner on the same line with Hertl and Dorofeyev, that could create highlight-reel goals that will satisfy the masses.
Overall, moving Stone to the top unit alongside Eichel and Barbashev could be the short-term fix that the Golden Knights need. They're in a weird position to start the season and need something to provide that spark. What better way to do this than to put the Captain on the same line as Eichel and Barbashev?