Mitch Marner brings the heat into his second season with the Golden Knights

Mitch Marner is determined to build on his first season with the Vegas Golden Knights after losing the Stanley Cup Final to the Carolina Hurricanes in six games. He says that experience serves as motivation to come back and finish the job that slipped away at the end of last season. The season opener comes against the Chicago Blackhawks at T-Mobile Arena.

As NHL reports, Marner entered his first season in Vegas adjusting to a new city and team after nine seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, arriving via a sign-and-trade deal and signing an eight-year contract worth $96 million in total. During the regular season he played in various positions and even changed coaches when John Tortorella took over with eight games remaining; still, he finished with 80 points (24 goals, 56 assists) in 81 games, and in the playoffs he was a major contributor with 29 points (10 goals, 19 assists) in 22 games.

Marner and his teammates found chemistry late in the season, especially when William Karlsson returned from injury and formed a line that shone in all three zones. His playoff performance boosted the confidence of the team and the front office; general manager Kelly McCrimmon praised his impact beyond the statistics and considered Marner’s season very successful given the many changes.

Entering year two, Marner says he feels more comfortable. There has been another change behind the bench — Ryan Craig replaced Tortorella — and the head coach plans to open the season with the Howden–Karlsson–Marner line to continue the chemistry developed in the playoffs. Craig highlighted Marner’s flexibility and his willingness to adapt to different positions when the team needs it.

According to NHL, Marner’s goal is to bring the Golden Knights back to the Final and win the decisive games that slipped away last season, building day by day toward the team’s objective.