The streets gave Vegas Golden Knights fans a potential glimpse of the future to start Training Camp. Mitch Marner and Jack Eichel were skating together in the first session, as was expected. However, the streets told fans of an interesting name accompanying them during that session.
At the first Training Camp session of the season, Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner are on the ice together on the same line with Ivan Barbashev.
— SinBin.vegas (@SinBinVegas) September 18, 2025
In essence, it makes sense. The Russian winger has prior experience playing on the top line with Eichel, playing 48 games with him and Mark Stone. While the top line had some magic to start the season, the statistics tell a broader story of where the unit stood (stats courtesy of MoneyPuck).
Line | xGoals % | xGoals For | xGoals Against | xGoals For Per 60 Minutes | xGoals Against Per 60 Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stone-Eichel-Barbashev | 51.2% | 21.2 | 20.2 | 2.75 | 2.62 |
Sure, the group was structurally sound offensively. In fact, they ranked fourth on the Golden Knights regarding xGoals For. However, you need some youth to carry you further on the top unit, especially with Stone being 33 years old.
That's where Mitch Marner comes into play. The 28-year-old brings 102 points from last season over to the Golden Knights, giving the team more juice. However, fans expect someone to shoot the puck, whether it's Eichel, Marner, or Barbashev.
If what the streets are saying is true, this looks like where the top line is trending. That leads us to our main protagonist, who's expected to pick up the slack with the Golden Knights this season. That also means... more shots.
Why Ivan Barbashev must shoot the puck more with the Vegas Golden Knights top line
Let's be honest here. 23 goals for a player with a shooting percentage of 20.7% certainly calls for a guy to shoot more. That's especially true when you had 111 shots on goal last season.
Kelly McCrimmon and company have stated that someone must shoot the puck with Eichel and Marner on the top unit. That means someone must fire at will and be willing to take more shots. Eichel has no problem doing this, as evidenced by his 233 shots on goal last season (second on the Golden Knights). Marner, on the other hand, is a different story.
Last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the former "Core Four" member had 173 shots on goal. He scored 27 goals, with six coming on the power play. That's where the Russian winger comes into play.
While Barbashev plays a more calculated style compared to his peers, he must take more risks and attack. That's especially true after he got hurt against the Minnesota Wild on December 15. After that fateful game, he only had eight goals, including a February dry spell (16 shots on goal for the entire month).
The Golden Knights will benefit from a more aggressive Barbashev
If Ivan Barbashev is willing to take more risks and attack, that should ease the pressure off Marner and Eichel. Expectations are high for the duo to produce this season, especially with the goal being the Stanley Cup.
Of course, that could also be rectified with Pavel Dorofeyev being put on the top unit. However, there's a case for him to be on the second line, specifically with his comfort level with Tomas Hertl and Brandon Saad. Why fix something if it isn't broken?
All of this falls on the 29-year-old to produce in big moments. If he can take the pressure off his linemates, they'll thank him dearly for it. If not, well, there could be trouble in paradise.
Gotta make the streets proud, you know?