We thought the Golden Knights with freshly-minted VGK forward Mitch Marner, would be on the opening night schedule at the very least. The late game is the Avalanche at the L.A. Kings instead on October 7th. The Golden Knights have played on opening day a few times already. The rest of the NHL schedule will be released this Wednesday. We also discuss if the VGK defense can be seen as a weakness. And, Jack Eichel's media avail at the Battle For Vegas was cut short Saturday, before any media member could ask a question about his contract extension.

Maple Leafs players, ans, insiders and media again are pointing fingers at Mitch Marner after they bowed out of the playoffs this past season. Austin Matthews said there were too many passengers on the ice during the Panthers series and Andy Strictland, of the Cam and Strict podcast, said sources told them that Marner might not have given it his all during playoffs because he knew he would land in Las Vegas. Chris recaps the Battle For Vegas charity softball game. And, we talk about the impact of George McPhee nine years after joining the organization.

Former Golden Knight Nic Hague says his new team suffered the same fate last season as VGK did in 2022, before the Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup. He called Nashville's last season a "fluke" but believes the Predators can bounce back just like VGK did after a disappointing 2022 season. Hague said the team was "hungry" and VGK had something to prove during the 2022 off-season, after the Golden Knights missed the playoffs. He said it's a powerful feeling to have that desire. We discuss what Brett Howden's role might be with VGK this upcoming season. And it's WTF day with fan comments.

Eliotte Friedman reported Jack Eichel's new contract will be worth more than Mitch Marner's 8x$12 million deal. Friedman said Eichel's deal could be around $12.5 million AAV. And the deal could be for term, possibly eight years. Eichel told the Hockey News he is excited to play with Marner. He said he can relate with some of the things Marner is going through with his departure from Toronto. We discuss when negotiations will begin for Pavel Dorofeyev"s contract extension. His contract expires at the end of next season. And, we wonder if Kelly McCrimmon will kick the tires on Jared McCann.

Bruce Cassidy, appearing on the Morning Take Podcast, said he is hoping Mitch Marner and Jack Eichel have chemistry. He said it's too had to tell in July. One of the biggest questions looming is whether the two superstars will be on the same line. Cassidy said they will have an opportunity to play together sooner or later. He also hinted that Marner might play some with other centers Tomas Hertl or William Karlsson. As we await the NHL schedule, hopefully on July 16th, we feel Mitch Marner will bring TV ratings and perhaps more national television appearances for VGK. Cassidy also said he saw a draft of the schedule and he said VGK will probably play Toronto on the road early in the season. And, VGK signs depth defenseman Lukas Cormier to an extension.

The Golden Knights are still in the hunt for Rasmus Andersson, the Calgary defenseman who is going into his final contract season. VGK has been at the top of the list as Andersson has said he wants to play for Vegas. There were harsh conversations after VGK lost to Edmonton according to Elliotte Friedman. He said the players, coaches and front office were upset after losing to the rival Oilers. And VGK signed depth pieces, Raphael Lavoie, Jonas Rondbjerg, and Cole Schwindt to one-year contracts.

How will VGK replace 132 points from this past season? It shouldn't be difficult with the addition of Mitch Marner. Yes, some players had career seasons this past campaign, but with Marner and Jack Eichel in the lineup consistently, the stats should continue to improve. Tony said it wouldn't be far-fetched to believe that Marner could have an 80+ assist season. Plus, VGK will be putting more pucks on net this season than last with Cassidy's new offensive design. There are reports Nic Hague turned down a trade to Calgary for Defenseman Rasmus Andersson because he didn't want to sign a long term deal. And, Olofsson and Samsonov are still out there in free agency.

The Golden Knights and Jack Eichel have started to sit down at the bargaining table as they try to hammer out a new contract extension. Eichel's contract expires at the end of the upcoming season. Eichel has 253 points in 241 career games with VGK. He is also an Olympian, member of USA's Four Nations team, and a Cup Champion. His salary range is somewhere in the $12.5-$14 million range. There is a report that VGK is looking to trade seventh defenseman Ben Hutton and it's WTF - What The Friday day!