Overshadowed but never outplayed, Mitch Marner making major mark in Vegas

Editor's note: Este artículo está traducido al español.

The T-Mobile Arena crowd gasped in awe upon seeing the replay of Pavel Dorofeyev’s first-period breakaway goal in the Golden Knights’ 4-1 victory over the Hurricanes on Monday.

Vegas’ lethal scorer deked Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen and slid the puck past him with one hand to put the Knights up 2-0, but the play that put it all into motion was just as jaw-dropping. Linemate Mitch Marner squeezed a pass in between two defenders in the neutral zone to give Dorofeyev an open lane.

Asked on the radio broadcast at intermission whether Marner’s pass or Dorofeyev’s goal was more exciting from a player’s perspective, defenseman Ben Hutton was torn.

“Both were sexy,” Hutton answered before pausing to contemplate. “I’ll go with Pavel’s goal.”

The 28-year-old Marner hasn’t been the Golden Knights’ main attraction during the first two weeks of the regular season, but he’s more than living up to the buzz that accompanied his arrival to the franchise this summer.

The long-time hometown hero for the Toronto Maple Leafs has now notched two points in four straight contests, and in five of the Golden Knights’ seven overall games so far.

That production would be enough to make him the talk of the town in another situation, but the seemingly annual fast start Vegas (5-0-2) under coach Bruce Cassidy has the attention focused elsewhere.

It’s hard to compete with Dorofeyev being tied for the NHL lead with seven goals and Jack Eichel sitting alone with a league-leading 16 points before Thursday’s slate of games.

Marner has been every bit as invaluable to Vegas, however, while logging a team-high in ice time among forwards. The Golden Knights will be leaning on him even more when they start a three-game Southeastern road trip at 3 p.m. Saturday at the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.

“We’re not forcing stuff,” Marner said after scoring his lone two goals as a Golden Knight in a 6-1 win over the Calgary Flames last Saturday. “I’m definitely getting more comfortable with just the system, everything in the locker room and my time being here. I’m getting comfortable. It feels good.”

Marner’s playmaking ability has repeatedly been front and center as he’s assisted on a large chunk of the combined 13 goals banked by Dorofeyev and Eichel.

He’ll keep getting chances to create for both of them as the quarterback of the Golden Knights’ power play, but expect more connections with the former in the coming weeks. That’s because Cassidy has been forced to rearrange the forward lines after losing captain Mark Stone, who in the NHL sat only behind Eichel with 13 points through Wednesday’s game, indefinitely with a wrist injury.    

Marner is now playing alongside Dorofeyev and Tomas Hertl on the second line after opening the season with Eichel and Ivan Barbashev at the top. 

Vegas finds itself in a perilous injury state overall heading into their second road swing.  

It will be without two other pillars next to Stone in goalie Adin Hill, who’s week-to-week after suffering a lower-body injury against Carolina, and defenseman Noah Hanifin, who’s been out with an undisclosed injury since the opener.  

Cassidy has referenced the Golden Knights being dealt a tough hand going into a particularly challenging part of the schedule with games at the perennially-contending Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes following Florida.  

“I’ve always said the best teams have internal competition,” Cassidy said. “This is a bit of a form of that with guys being out, they get to prove that, if given the responsibility, (they) can take care of business so that whenever one is healthy, they get a good push for each other. I think that’s very healthy for the group.”

It helps to have a player like Marner best known for lifting the play of those around him. If the initial returns in Vegas aren’t enough to prove that, look at what’s concurrently happening with his former team.

The most negative Maple Leafs' fans must be second-guessing their desire to run Marner out of the city after a few playoff disappointments. Toronto is a mess at the moment, evidently missing Marner’s passing acumen and especially his defensive prowess during a tense 3-3-1 start.

Toronto coach Craig Berube preached patience as his team adjusted to life without Marner going into the season but admitted to, “getting tired,” of his new-look first line’s underperformance earlier this week.    

Marner and Auston Matthews were the staples of unit over the last nine years with the Maple Leafs, and divvying up the credit for their line emerging as one of the best in hockey always sparked debate. It’s a small sample and no guarantee to continue but, so far in the 2025-2026 season, it’s advantage Marner.

“He’s usually the guy making the plays,” Cassidy marveled at Marner after his two-goal game.

One of the only Vegas goals this season that might have been prettier than Dorofeyev’s against Carolina was Marner’s second score versus Calgary. Marner had such little space down the slot that Flames goalie Dustin Wolf prepared as if he was about to rip a shot.

But Marner held off for a split second and was able to beat Wolf with his backhand.

It was a reminder that he’s capable of doing it all. The Golden Knights might need him to unleash his full arsenal to maintain the high standard they’ve set for themselves early in the season.    

That shouldn’t be a problem for Marner, who’s not quite ready to say he’s fully settled in despite the immediate impact he’s making on a nightly basis.

“It’s getting there,” he said. “I think we’re pretty close to it.”