Take a look at this photo for a second. What do you see?
For me, I see Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, and Noah Hanifin. All three first-round picks in the 2015 NHL Draft are Vegas Golden Knights stars. Seeing these first-round picks on the same team indicates that Kelly McCrimmon is pushing his poker chips to the middle of the table.
Ladies and gentlemen, McCrimmon is going all-in. Time to put on your best poker face because it's your chance to win the hand. Think of this as The Hangover, only without Mike Tyson and pet tigers.
As for the newest Golden Knight, he brings a lucrative resume to Las Vegas. Last season, he scored 27 goals and 102 points. Those 102 points were a career-high for the Markham native, indicating his arrival on the NHL scene as an elite player.
Now? He's playing the role of Robin to Eichel's Batman. The duo looks to wreak havoc on the NHL, whether it's on even strength or the power play.
The Bat-Signal is up, meaning that it's go-time for the newest member and the franchise face. Time to fight some crime and put the Joker behind bars. Let's look at Robin and see where the expectations lie heading into 2025-26.
Hop into the Batmobile, my friend! We're off to fight some crime like Adam West.
What can fans expect from Mitch Marner in 2025-26 with the Vegas Golden Knights?
One thing that matters about Marner's style of play (and this is a big one) is he's a two-way player. I know what you're thinking and I can hear your ears perk up.
"Ooh, another two-way player? That's excellent!"
The good thing about Marner coming in is he's a solid replacement for Mark Stone. You see, the Captain is 33 years old and is a free agent after 2026-27. Stone plays a similar style to the newest Golden Knight, expanding his game to all 200 feet.
Like Stone, Marner is also a good complementary piece. Last season, he had 75 assists with the Toronto Maple Leafs. That would've been a franchise record for the Golden Knights, breaking Eichel's record of 66 last season.
Of course, there are some things he can do more. For example, he can shoot the puck some more. Last season, he had 173 shots with the Maple Leafs. Kelly McCrimmon talked about players on the top line needing to shoot the puck more and it applies here.
Will it be Marner who takes that next step? Will he rely on a player like Ivan Barbashev or Pavel Dorofeyev to carry the load? The former would make life much easier, taking the pressure off Eichel and whoever plays on the opposite wing.
What about the playoff pressure?
Well, dear reader. That is a bit of concern here. You will look at 13 goals and 50 assists in 70 career postseason games as simply alarming. Guess what? I agree with you!
However, last postseason was better than the previous campaigns he ran. The winger might've scored a measly two goals in 13 games. But he also had 11 assists in that span, making him a crucial part of the Maple Leafs attack.
It's also been mentioned that players like Mark Stone have had similar labels to Marner. After leaving the Ottawa Senators, the Captain became a key piece to various Golden Knights playoff runs, including 2023.
That's certainly no different for the 28-year-old, who should thrive under Bruce Cassidy's leadership. While fans might see a whiny brat who crumbles under pressure, Eichel had similar labels after leaving Buffalo.
Golden Knights will tell you all you need to know about how that turned out. Let's just say he won a Stanley Cup and set some franchise records *wink* *wink*.