Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon believes that winning can improve players organically. If that holds true, expect many players to take another leap this season.

Young players who gained playoff hockey experience might be the most obvious candidates to take a step up, but it could happen with veterans too. With a desire to win back-to-back championships, even the stars on the Golden Knights’ roster could find another gear.

Fans couldn’t have asked for much more out of Vegas’ four best players in the playoffs—Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, Alex Pietrangelo and Jonathan Marchessault—but here’s a path to each of them being even better this season.

Jack Eichel

His talent is undeniable. The only question surrounding Eichel after he was traded from Buffalo to Vegas in November 2021 was whether he could thrive in the playoffs.

Safe to say that the answer was yes. Eichel led Vegas with 26 points during the postseason, and it wasn’t just scoring where he excelled as he showed he could be reliable defensively while showing out as the most talented offensive forward in the roster. Now the equation has flipped: If Eichel can play at his playoff level over the course of 82 games, he could be considered one of the top three or five players in the world.

Mark Stone

What more could possibly be asked out of the captain, the heart and soul of the Golden Knights? A full bill of health would be a nice start. Stone underwent his second back surgery in less than a year last season to miss three months right before the playoffs. He rushed his recovery to come back in time for the postseason and it worked out as he had 24 points in 22 playoff games, including a hat trick in the Game 5 clincher.

Fans have seen the impact Stone makes when he’s fully healthy and can rightfully dream about the team’s potential if he can stay on the ice for a whole season. “I feel great,” Stone said. “It’s probably the best I’ve felt in three, four years.”

Alex Pietrangelo

The now two-time Stanley Cup champion is a future Hall of Famer as one of the league’s most consistent defensemen for the better part of a decade. To say there’s another level he could reach might be an insult, but like Stone, it could happen if he stays healthy. Petro will turn 34 years old this season but age didn’t slow him last year when he tied a career high with 54 points in 73 games. He should be plenty motivated for another year considering he’s on pace to hit a pair of career milestones with 1,000 games and 600 points this season.

Jonathan Marchessault

It’s easy to forget that Marchessault’s playoff run was quite the roller coaster. Yes, he finished it with the Conn Smythe Trophy as the postseason’s most valuable player, but he endured a drought without a goal in seven straight games to start the playoffs. Imagine if he harnesses the streakiness that has defined his career and scores at a consistent pace all year.

The 32-year-old is entering a contract year, which often brings the best out of a veteran. The Golden Knights would love to bring back Marchessault and vice versa, but the offseason trade of Reilly Smith cautions that nothing is a sure thing. But for right now, Marchessault is both riding a wave of momentum and playing with a big extra driving force.

“At the beginning of my career, I thought the desire of winning goes away maybe,” Marchessault said. “(But now) I have the same desire to do the same thing. I’m motivated. I want to win here and keep it going.”

Click HERE to subscribe for free to the Weekly Fix, the digital edition of Las Vegas Weekly! Stay up to date with the latest on Las Vegas concerts, shows, restaurants, bars and more, sent directly to your inbox!