Okay, let's get one thing straight before the article starts. Akira Schmid will NOT be the Golden Knights' leading scorer from the 2026 Olympics. It's not diminishing the Swiss goaltender's accomplishments at the NHL level. It's just that it's near impossible for a netminder to score four points in an Olympic setting.
Sadly enough, it won't be William Karlsson either. Rumor has it that the Original Misfit is probably out for longer than expected, putting his hopes of returning to the regular season in jeopardy. Man, wouldn't you love to have him around for the Olympics and the home stretch?
The same goes for Jonas Rondbjerg, who's injured and won't be participating in the festivities. It stinks because the Danish forward had the ultimate opportunity to represent his country and the Golden Knights' organization this year. So, who could it be?
It's certainly one of the usual suspects that are in the running here. You know, your leading point-grabbers and your "more than a point per game" players. Let's dive into the possibilities and see who could earn this honor for the Golden Knights this Olympic season.
Who would score the most points while representing the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2026 Winter Olympics?
There would be two obvious answers for this category and with good reason. Both forwards are terrific at driving plays and have great overall offensive acumen. They're also players who are averaging more than a point per game, making them easy picks for this lovely distinction.
First, there's Jack Eichel, who had his infamous four-assist performance in last season's 4 Nations Face-Off. The Golden Knights megastar leads the team in points this season with 68, coming close to the 100-point mark in the latest projections (Eichel's projected to hit 98 in 72 games this season).
Then, there's Mark Stone, who's playing on a completely different planet. In 41 games (yes, you read that right), the Captain has 60 points, including 13 goals and 18 assists since December 28. That's a ridiculous pace that should have Golden Knights fans' eyes peeled.
While those names sound nice, why not go in a completely different direction? Believe it or not, there's one more player that fits the mold of the point-per-player game here. He happened to set up Connor McDavid's tournament-clinching goal from the 4 Nations Face-Off, too...
Mitch Marner is the Golden Knights pick to score the most for the 2026 Winter Olympics
If you remember that tournament-clinching goal from last season, Marner set up the play where a surging McDavid came crashing towards the United States' net. The result was the Edmonton Oilers galaxy star etching his name eternally into Canadian hockey lore. The only thing that tops that is winning the Stanley Cup for your home nation.
That's what makes the newest Golden Knights gigastar so great. He has an innate ability to thrive in transition and see the play unfold. In turn, he can set up players like McDavid, Macklin Celebrini, or Cale Makar for juicy scoring opportunities.
Therefore, it stands with good reason that Marner will be the top Golden Knight in Olympic scoring. That's especially true if he gets "golden" (no pun intended) opportunities with Team Canada's top guys. Plus, it's Canada. Shouldn't the hockey gods be smiling down upon Marner in Milan?