Mitch Marner is back in Las Vegas for year two with the Golden Knights, and he’s carrying the kind of edge that comes from getting that close to the Stanley Cup and walking away empty-handed.
The finish still sits with him. Vegas lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in six games in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, and Marner said that experience has already turned into fuel.
“You kind of just take that as fire in a way,” Marner said. “You want to try to get back to that position and win two more hockey games. You take that home with you, and you try to work to get back in that position.”
The Golden Knights open the season Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks at T-Mobile Arena. For Marner, it marks the start of a second season that feels a lot steadier than the first.
Last year was a major adjustment. After nine seasons with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs, Marner arrived in Vegas on July 1, 2025, in a sign-and-trade that brought him an eight-year, $96 million deal with a $12 million average annual value. He wanted a new challenge as he moved toward unrestricted free agency, but the transition still came with plenty of moving parts.
His role kept shifting. He played wing and center depending on what the Golden Knights needed, especially when injuries hit. He also dealt with a coaching change late in the year, when John Tortorella replaced Bruce Cassidy with eight games left in the regular season.
Even with all that, Marner put up 80 points in 81 games, scoring 24 goals and adding 56 assists. For most players, that would be a strong season. For him, it was a step down from the 102 points he posted with Toronto the year before.
The playoffs told a different story.
Marner started the postseason still bouncing around the lineup and searching for the right fit. He eventually clicked with Brett Howden, and then William Karlsson returned from a lower-body injury to center the two of them. Once that trio settled in, Marner took off.
He finished the playoffs with 29 points in 22 games, leading the NHL in postseason scoring with 10 goals and 19 assists.
“The start of the season, it wasn’t going too great,” Marner said. “I think it was a little bit up-and-down, roller-coaster ride, good games, bad games, just kind of all over the map. Kind of just tried to find my groove the best I could in all those situations and playing with different people.
“And I think obviously when me and Howie got together, the chemistry started building. I thought we played some really good hockey together.
“And then obviously when Karl came back, I thought our line was pretty exceptional. I thought we did a lot of good things in all three zones.
I thought our line really took care of the defensive zone. We took a lot of pride in that, and I think that resulted in us getting offense.”
In Other News...
Golden Knights Face Huge Breakout Pressure From Two Key Names
The Golden Knights are already looking down the road to 2026-27, and the early projections point to two names carrying a lot of the intrigue. Trevor Connelly is being floated as a possible scoring breakout and even a Calder Trophy candidate, a sign of how much optimism surrounds his ceiling if everything comes together. For a team that has built its identity on veteran presence and polished depth, that kind of youthful offensive push would add another layer to the roster picture.
Carter Hart is part of the same conversation, with expectations that he could put himself in position to become the third Vegas goaltender to reach 30 wins in a season. It is the kind of benchmark that says as much about team structure as it does about the goalie, and it would give the Knights another important anchor if the projection holds. For now, though, both ideas remain in the category of what-ifs, and the real interest is how much of that upside Vegas can actually turn into results when the season arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Open With Early Pressure On A Reshaped Bottom Six
The Golden Knights are opening their 10th NHL season with a fresh look in the bottom six, and there is real intrigue in how the roster shakeup will play out under head coach Ryan Craig. Vegas has leaned into its new pieces, including first-round pick Trevor Connelly and Braeden Bowman, both of whom have earned spots on the roster as the team settles on its line combinations for the season opener against Chicago.
For a club that has spent years building around depth and versatility, the way those lower-line groups settle in could go a long way toward shaping the tone of the night. The early pressure will not just be on the usual top-end names, but on the newcomers who now have a chance to show they belong from the start, with the opening game offering the first real test of how reshaped this forward group can be. [Read more 🡒]
Golden Knights Just Changed Course Behind The Bench Again
The Golden Knights are once again making a change behind the bench, turning from John Tortorella to Ryan Craig after the 2025-26 season. Craig comes in from the organizations AHL affiliate in Henderson, where he had been coaching the next wave of talent, and the move points toward a different feel for a roster that has long been built to win now.
What makes this shift notable is the direction it suggests. Craig is expected to lean more toward collaboration and to give younger players a clearer path into the lineup, a contrast that could reshape how Vegas develops and deploys its depth. Analyst Steve Peters has already weighed in on the approach and what it might mean for the Golden Knights, but the real test will be whether the new bench voice can balance that developmental mandate with the expectations that come with a contender. [Read more 🡒]