(Photo Credit: @NHL on X/Twitter)

The formula for the Golden Knights’ top power play unit has been one of the biggest mysteries surrounding the team as they enter the 2025-26 season. After finishing as the 2nd best power play in the NHL and smashing the franchise high with a 28.3% success rate, the question is, “Where does Mitch Marner fit?”

The five guys that work out the best will be on it come the start of the year. And that could look like a lot of different things. We had a very good power play last year. We’re mindful of that. So we want to build off that without tearing that down. But obviously, we have a new piece that’s very good on the power play too. So let’s see where that best fits and makes us the best. -Bruce Cassidy

Last night’s preseason game, and some insights from Marner himself, shared a bit of a clue as to where they’ll try the newest Golden Knight superstar first.

I talked to (Cassidy) a couple days ago, kind of just ran through that we’re going to do the top to start with and see how it goes. So, yeah, I’m used to it up there. You know, just try to make plays and try to be quick with the puck. -Mitch Marner

Marner played the “quarterback” role on the power play in hist first preseason game with the Golden Knights, and there’s a good chance he remains in that role when the season begins. That means either Shea Theodore or Pavel Dorofeyev will find themselves in the circle to the goalie’s left, while the other will be off the power play completely. Theodore got the first look there in last night’s game.

I want to see them score. I want to see him create chances, score goals. That’s it. There’s no real elephant in the room. We used Hanifin and Theodore up top last year. I thought it kept moving. We had different guys in different places, but we’ll see how that goes. -Cassidy

It’s definitely different. We’re working through some things through the preseason and we’re not really sure what we’re going to go with. -Shea Theodore

As we’ve referenced on the site a few times during the summer, Marner has spent a lot of time at the top of the power play during his time in Toronto. The Maple Leafs’ five-forward unit had a ton of success late in the regular season and early in the playoffs. Marner was a huge reason for it, and he believes it fits his skill set well.

I like trying to see below guys. I like when the person’s coming at you and they can’t kind of see behind them. I feel like I can walk the line pretty well and make plays. I’m not really trying to ever shoot to score. I’m trying to shoot for sticks and make plays and try to make secondary opportunities out of that. -Marner

Marner is ready for the opportunity, even if it comes in a role that for the Golden Knights has always been filled by a defenseman.

I’ve tried to trust my abilities to play that D-man role in past years and stuff like that, and I feel like I’m getting better at it as it goes. I mean, last year was the real first time I was really top of the power play, top guy on the power play. But I’ve enjoyed it up there. You can kind of see the ice all around. You can kind of see openings down low. You can see kind of holes that maybe sometimes you can’t see from the side. I trust my backwards skating, trust my abilities, trust my stick work, and try to just make plays out of it. -Marner

Of course, there’s always the option of trying to balance the power play units as well, especially with another excellent PP guy in the fold. For Cassidy though, that’s never really been an option.

I’ve always preferred a dominant unit everywhere I’ve been, if you have those players. So that’s my first thought process, build a 1 and then a 2, not a 1A and 1B. It’s all personnel-driven, though. I’ve just found over the years the best power plays typically are dominated by the top guys. I don’t know that there are a lot of shared power plays that play the exact same time that are typically top five (in the NHL). I’m not saying it doesn’t happen. I would say they’re more tilted towards the load-up type of unit. -Cassidy

The first two power plays the Golden Knights had against Utah were a bit ragged for the new top unit (or at least 3/5ths of it) but they were able to hit the back of the net on the third one.

Expect Cassidy and the Golden Knights to try it all before now and October 8th, but even by then, it will probably be a work in progress for a good portion of the season.