He should get plenty of time with Jack Eichel
Having Jack Eichel on your team makes everyone instantly better. It's how Jonathan Marchessault scored 42 goals last season, for he shared the same top line with the former second-overall pick. But that also includes playing with Alex Pietrangelo, as proven by Friday's 5-2 victory over the Utah Hockey Club.
Last season, the two superstars played together for 275:31 TOI, scoring 16 goals and allowing 12 (57.14 GF%, according to Natural Stat Trick). That exceeded the expected number of 12.01 xGF and 10.55 xGA (53.23 xGF%). Compare that to when Eichel wasn't on the ice and left Pietrangelo alone, where the team scored 39 goals and allowed 49 (44.32 GF%). It's clear Pietrangelo benefits from having a star center like Eichel on the team, whether on even strength or the power play.
Therefore, Bruce Cassidy will look into putting the two on the ice more. They complement one another, feeding off their strengths while creating more scoring opportunities. That will be good news for a Vegas Golden Knights team looking to fill some holes offensively. An uptick in favorable matchups will help the team navigate the 2024-25 season, surprising some people. Friday's game could be an example of things to come for the defender.
Pietrangelo isn't expected to keep up his high level of play forever. He'll regress further at some point to where he's become a liability. However, the two-time Stanley Cup winner could surprise some people writing him off. He could see a rebound this year, where he's back to becoming the go-to producer for the Golden Knights