Boucher, Lundqvist discuss storylines ahead of opening 'NHL on TNT' doubleheader

Mitch Marner might need some time to adjust to Jack Eichel and his new surroundings with the Vegas Golden Knights, but the result could be Stanley Cup-level success.

"He will win a championship with Vegas, and it will kill [Toronto] Maple Leafs fans, but that's just the way it goes," TNT analyst Brian Boucher said Monday. "He's at the point in his career where he's ready to shoulder the responsibility with others, and also I think the lack of pressure from playing at home is going to serve him very well."

Marner landed in Vegas after a sign-and-trade deal with Toronto on July 1, and he'll make his Golden Knights debut against the Los Angeles Kings at T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday (10 p.m. ET), in the second game of an "NHL on TNT" doubleheader.

The move takes Marner from his hometown of Toronto, where he played nine seasons and the spotlight constantly burned bright, to an entirely different environment in Las Vegas.

"I mean, it's going to be a lot easier to go buy groceries, that's for sure," TNT analyst Henrik Lundqvist said. "It can definitely be refreshing when you played in a market like [Toronto], and go to Vegas, where they have a very passionate group of fans, but at same time it's not Toronto. I think he's going to be able to enjoy life a little bit more at home, and maybe that will save him some energy."

That extra energy could help smooth out any bumps in the road as Marner and Eichel build their chemistry together. Long term, though, Lundqvist and Boucher believe the fit will work at a high level.

"The reason why elite players are elite players is they're coachable and they're able to adjust," Lundqvist said. "So yes, there's going to be some time to adjust to a new system, new players. But when you put two elite players together, it's just a matter of time before they understand each other, and it's going to be great no matter how they play, because they're that good."

Marner was fifth in the NHL last season with 102 points (27 goals, 75 assists) in 81 games. Eichel was eighth with 94 points (28 goals, 66 assists) in 77 games.

"I think Marner likes to be a give-and-go type of player and I don't know if Eichel had those types of players before," Boucher said. "I think it's going to be interesting to see how it plays out early on. I think long term it's going to be good. I think Marner is a great player, and I think this is a great situation for him, because he touches so many areas of the game, whether it's 5-on-5, power play, penalty kill. He really is an intelligent player and a reliable player. So I think long term it's going to be a great fit. But I wouldn't be surprised if early on there's some bumps in the road, just stylistically and how they play."

The first game of the Wednesday doubleheader will see Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals play the Boston Bruins at Capital One Arena in Washington (7:30 p.m. ET).

Ovechkin enters the season three goals shy of 900. But having turned 40 years old in September and potentially playing his final NHL season, the question turns to how high he can take his record.

Lundqvist and Boucher believe that question is one only Ovechkin can, and should, answer.

"It depends how long he wants to play," Lundqvist said. "His game has never really been about speed. It's been about strength, and he's still strong as a hulk. He's a tank out there. So his game, it's about positioning. I think he's been adjusting his game over the last few years. You see him score from many more locations. So that ability, I think, helped him to keep the pace. His strength is his power move, and it's been amazing to watch.

"You just love to see when the best players keep being some of the best, even at this age. It's a commitment to the craft, commitment to the game, and I just love to see it."

Ovechkin's push to break Wayne Gretzky all-time mark of 894 goals, which he accomplished last season, propelled the Capitals to the best record in the Eastern Conference (51-22-9). Finding something comparable to drive Ovechkin and his teammates could be a bit more challenging this season.

"In the last couple of years he had an amazing amount of motivation to get to the record and eventually break the record," Boucher said. "Has a magical year last year. I think it's going to be hard to recreate that this year. I think teams are going to be ready for the Capitals. I think they snuck up on a lot of people last year and the stars aligned perfectly. I think he's going to score 30 this year so he'll be well over 900. But I think it's going to be harder for him this year. ... It's going to be a more of a grind, I think, for the team and for him."

However Boucher, who allowed two of Ovechkin's NHL-record 897 goals during four games head-to-head, isn't ready to count out the "Great 8" just yet.

"That's just my feel," Boucher said. "We'll see. Maybe he'll prove me wrong. He's proven a lot of people wrong over the years."