If you're looking to the future and you see this exact image, don't be surprised if these two players are squaring off in the Stanley Cup playoffs. The thought of seeing Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks and Mitch Marner of the Vegas Golden Knights dueling should have television executives licking their chops (like Kelly McCrimmon at the trade deadline!).
Anyway, that means that Vegas's divisional rivals will be aiming for the prestigious Pacific Division crown. You already know that certain teams within the division have no chance. We're thinking about teams like the Vancouver Canucks, the Calgary Flames, and the Seattle Kraken.
Then, there's the Los Angeles Kings. They're just... there, although they did add Artemi Panarin and... a bunch of old guys. Yay. That leaves us with three contenders for the crown. That would be the Edmonton Oilers, the San Jose Sharks, and the Anaheim Ducks.
These three teams have star power up the wazoo and can make a legitimate run against the Golden Knights. However, only two teams belong in this conversation and it's not the oldest team of the bunch. Instead, the two younger squads will be problematic for the Golden Knights this season—and for years to come.
San Jose Sharks
Obviously, you have Macklin Celebrini at the forefront of the conversation. The objective will be to take him out of the equation whenever the Golden Knights face him. However, the other incoming pieces will come into play for the 2026-27 season.
Of course, there's Will Smith, who's expected to take the next step in 2026-27. But San Jose also added Jacob Trouba and Darnell Nurse to give Celebrini some puck-moving defensemen with a shot-blocking edge. It's safe to say that there's plenty of optimism in the Baby Sharks taking the next step this season.
That's why Golden Knights fans should be on watch for San Jose. Yes, the regular season history heavily favors the Golden Knights. But general manager Mike Grier is indicating that it's full steam ahead on the Sharks' Stanley Cup window.
Anaheim Ducks
Let's not forget that the Anaheim Ducks swept the regular season series against the Vegas Golden Knights last season. The young Ducks used dynamic players such as Leo Carlsson and Cutter Gauthier to generate breathtaking offense, leaving the Golden Knights in the dust. However, the postseason was a vastly different story.
Vegas leaned heavily on its playoff experience to frustrate the Ducks, eventually taking the Second Round matchup in six games. Mitch Marner exploded in this series, scoring five goals and six assists. In turn, the Golden Knights made their third Stanley Cup Final appearance with a sweep of the Colorado Avalanche. Life was the pits for a young Anaheim team learning how to waddle.
Still, the Golden Knights can't discount the Ducks, even if Anaheim's general manager, Pat Verbeek, continues to fumble contract negotiations with his restricted free agents. Lukas Dostal is expected to get better and there are plenty of scoring options within the Orange County hockey sphere.
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