JFresh's 32-best forwards survey omits a certain Golden Knights Captain

The latest JFresh fan survey has Jack Eichel as the ninth-best forward in the current NHL landscape. The survey also has Mitch Marner as the 11th-best forward in the league. Surprisingly, those are the only two Vegas Golden Knights who sit on the list.

That's right, dear reader. There's no sign of Mark Stone on the list. Not even 1.22 points per game last season (tied for 11th in the NHL) was good enough to make the list. Mind you, he tied with Eichel for the most points per game on the Golden Knights.

Last season, the Golden Knights Captain had 28 goals and 45 assists. He chipped in nine goals and 18assists on the power play in 2025-26, making him a vital cog in the attack. On top of that, Vegas was 8-9-5 without their Captain, leaving a massive void on the team.

Yes, I had to pull out the ol' reliable stats for this one, yet it bears repeating. Stone is far better and more important than people give him credit for. Vegas doesn't function as well offensively without him and he's also proficient at taking the puck away.

That's why you sign him to a two-year contract extension worth $9 million annually. That's also why you give him a full no-move clause to keep him around until he retires. He might be 34, yet he's still producing at a high clip for the Vegas Golden Knights.

Why fans should hesitate to disrespect Mark Stone

For further perspective on the vote, Stone finished 39th. He placed behind names like Robert Thomas, Leo Carlsson, and Sam Reinhart. Mind you, the Captain finished with more points than all three forwards last season, despite playing 60 games.

This is also the same fan survey that placed Mark Scheifele 31st, despite placing fifth in the NHL in points with 103. Let's not forget that the list had Martin Necas at 21, despite being tied for seventh in points with 100 (tied with David Pastrnak). It's easy to see that the list has some criminal rankings in certain spots, hyping up certain players to the moon.

Now, this isn't the fault of JFresh. It's just a fan survey that reflects the opinions and feelings of the NHL universe. But it should add fuel to the fire for the Golden Knights Captain, especially after an electric 2025-26 season.

People will say that he's too old, despite a 39-year-old Sidney Crosby coming in at No. 10. They'll say that his injury history is too problematic to consider a higher number. But when you're projected to score 100 points in an 82-game setting, that deserves plenty of respect from your peers.

That's why fans should expect the Canadian Olympian to get hot to start the season. Stone should be determined to prove the critics wrong and show that age is merely a number. After all, you don't want to hear people call you "unc" or "old." That would be downright disrespectful to say to the Captain.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow