NHL players with the most to prove for 2025-26 season

After an up-and-down year that resulted in the Canucks missing the playoffs, Pettersson comes into 2025-26 with plenty to prove and a heavy load to carry.

Mitch Marner, forward, Vegas Golden Knights

After a rocky relationship, Marner, not surprisingly, left the Toronto Maple Leafs this offseason, joining the Vegas Golden Knights on an eight-year deal. 

Marner's inconsistent postseason play caused him to face the brunt of many Maple Leafs fans' wrath; now, he joins a Golden Knights squad that has made several deep postseason runs, including a 2023 Stanley Cup championship.

Playing with Auston Matthews for much of his Toronto tenure, Marner will now link up with another American superstar center in Jack Eichel. While he may not have much to prove among the league, as he ranks seventh among players in points over the last five seasons, Marner will likely have a chip on his shoul der going into 2025-26; he'll want to shed his reputation as a "regular season" player and help lead Vegas to another deep playoff run.

Stuart Skinner, goaltender, Edmonton Oilers

Skinner has had an inconsistent career for Edmonton; he was a Calder Trophy finalist in 2023 and has led the Oilers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals in 2024 and 2025. However, his career postseason save percentage of .893 leaves much to be desired.

He struggled in the 2025 playoffs, being benched after Game 2 of Round 1 against the Los Angeles Kings after allowing 11 goals in two games. He found his way back to the net after Calvin Pickard was injured, but still did not manage to find a consistent game.

Although it seemed like Edmonton would be in the goalie market this offseason, its tandem in net remains Skinner and Pickard. Skinner will need to be much steadier in the net for the Oilers to rely less on their offensive superstars, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. If not, Edmonton may be looking for a new goaltender come the 2026 trade deadline.