Mitch Marner, Jack Eichel top storylines as Knights open season

Bruce Cassidy is going to give it a shot.

It’s not a guarantee that Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner play together the entire season. The Golden Knights coach wants to stay flexible.

“Their chemistry, I think, is fine,” Cassidy said. “You want that stuff to develop over time. We’ll see. It’s that simple. There will be a certain time where we say it’s working or it isn’t.”

But it wouldn’t be the Knights if there wasn’t some entertainment mixed in.

That will be no exception when Marner makes his Knights debut against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena. Eichel and Marner will skate together on the top line, just like they have all of training camp.

“We’ve definitely gotten better. We’re finding where each other likes to be in all three zones,” Marner said Monday. “We’re slowly getting better at finding each other in good spots. I think it’s only going to grow at the start of the season and as we go for it. We just

have to be patient with it.”

The attention would normally zero in on Marner in this situation. He’s the $96 million man, after all, the one who left the Toronto Maple Leafs and came to Las Vegas to win the Stanley Cup.

The nerves are still there for Marner entering his 10th NHL season. This one carries a different weight. The right wing won’t don the blue and white anymore. A gold sweater with a No. 93 on the back takes its place.

“I think I always get butterflies and a nervous vibe,” Marner said. “That’s part of our job, in a way. The excitement gives you nerves.”

The focus should be on Marner. His linemate, though, has the attention for the time being.

McDavid stunner

Eichel, barring a change between now and Wednesday, will start the regular season without a contract extension in place. The star center is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

The noise surrounding talks wasn’t loud before. But sound is coming from the speakers after Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid stunned the hockey world by signing a two-year extension for a bargain $25 million on Monday.

McDavid putting the Oilers on borrowed time would have made for a better storyline, but him re-signing isn’t shocking. He thinks there’s a chance to win with the team that made the past two Stanley Cup Finals.

The $12.5 million cap hit was the shocker. McDavid is giving the Oilers a ton of flexibility with the salary cap expected to skyrocket the next two years. It also puts Edmonton on a three-year clock to give McDavid as much help as possible to win an elusive championship.

Apples to oranges

Eichel is in a different situation compared to McDavid and Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov, who became the highest-paid player in NHL history Sept. 30 with an eight-year, $136 million contract.

The Wild needed to break the bank for Kaprizov. They haven’t been able to add stars via trades or free agency and haven’t advanced past the first round since 2015. Minnesota couldn’t let Kaprizov walk out the door.

McDavid has done everything the past two years to win a championship. He has 75 points in his past two postseasons, including 42 in 2024. He’s almost willed his team across the finish line twice but has yet to do it.

Eichel has been the No. 1 center on a championship team. He’s in a better position to command what he wants. It’s up to the Knights if they want to oblige.

McDavid didn’t reset the market. He didn’t handcuff himself to the Oilers for eight years, nor did he command maximum dollar — 20 percent of the salary cap.

But it will make for an interesting round of conversations the next time Eichel and his agent, Pat Brisson, meet with Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon.

The end game remains the same. Both sides want to get something done. Eichel has no qualms about the city or the organization. But the McDavid deal adds intrigue heading into a highly anticipated opening night.

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.