Knights stars look to be ‘difference makers’ on new-look first line

Mark Stone has always done well when he has speed down the middle on his line.

Jack Eichel can bring that and more.

It’s been a while since the Golden Knights’ two stars played on the same line, but it appears they’ll team up in Wednesday’s season opener against the Colorado Avalanche at T-Mobile Arena.

The two have skated with left wing Ivan Barbashev since Saturday’s preseason finale against the San Jose Sharks.

Part of coach Bruce Cassidy’s motivation for the move is he wants to get Stone off to a strong start. The Knights captain has played just seven meaningful hockey games since lacerating his spleen in February, all in the playoffs.

An injury also forced Cassidy’s hand. Center William Karlsson, who began training camp centering a line with Stone and left wing Pavel Dorofeyev, has been placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury and there is no timetable for his return.

So, Cassidy decided to load up his top line with two of his leaders and — when healthy — two of his top point producers.

“Both are good players, and good players usually figure it out,” Cassidy said. “It’s very seldom you see two very good players stuck for a long period of time.”

Eichel and Stone haven’t played much together at five-on-five with the Knights. But that doesn’t mean they haven’t shared the ice before.

They’ve been on the top power-play unit and the top penalty-killing unit together.

Their partnership has a lot of potential at five-on-five. They feel their skill sets complement each other well. Eichel draws a ton of attention when he has the puck, which Stone said should give him room to operate on the walls.

“I think with the two of us together, we just want to be as assertive as possible and make a difference every night for the team, whether it be defensively or offensively,” Eichel said.

Stone said he and Eichel are at their best when they keep their games simple. Someone on the Knights should always be open in the offensive zone with the crowd that tends to form around Eichel.

Barbashev will support the two by forechecking and driving the net.

“(Eichel) really draws the entire five-man group out there,” Stone said. “It allows guys to kind of get loose, get open.”

Offensively, the top line might have to carry a lot of the scoring load early in the year.

Eichel was second on the Knights in goals (31) and points (68) last season, behind only his former right wing: Jonathan Marchessault.

Stone, despite missing 26 games, finished fourth on the team in points with 53 in 56 games.

The Knights need those two to produce. The team lost six players in free agency this offseason — Marchessault, center Chandler Stephenson, left wing William Carrier, defenseman Alec Martinez and right wings Michael Amadio and Anthony Mantha — and will need its veterans to get on the scoresheet while seeing if younger players like Dorofeyev can handle more responsibility.

Eichel said it helps that he and Stone have built chemistry playing together on special teams before. Now they’ll look to make an impact at five-on-five as well.

“I think Stoney and I both put a big burden on ourselves to be difference makers,” Eichel said. “That’s what we’re going to try and do.”

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