As is the case in every NHL season, certain players are coming in with something to prove. Whether it’s to justify a pay raise or a trade or to bounce back from a subpar year, some players have every motivation to improve on their results at any given time. After The Hockey News examined five centers with the most to prove [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/five-nhl-centers-with-the-most-to-prove-in-2025-26], here are five wingers in a similar situation for 2025-26. In alphabetical order: NIKOLAJ EHLERS, CAROLINA HURRICANES Ehlers was one of the biggest names on the NHL free-agent market this summer. He joined the Hurricanes, which will likely put him on the top line and expect big things from him while they pay him $8.5 million per season from now through the summer of 2031 [https://puckpedia.com/player/nikolaj-ehlers]. Ehlers produced above-average numbers last season, including 24 goals and 63 points in only 69 games, but the Hurricanes are banking on Ehlers being at least that good while being fully healthy next season. Ehlers has struggled to stay healthy from year to year, as he’s missed between nine and 37 games in five of the last seven seasons. At 29, Ehlers is in his prime years, so he needs to take advantage of them. Carolina as a team has all sorts of pressure to get beyond the Eastern Conference final this coming season, but Ehlers has to prove he’s worth every penny the Hurricanes are paying him. PATRIK LAINE, MONTREAL CANADIENS Laine, 27, is heading into the final season of a four-year contract that pays him $8.7 million per year [https://puckpedia.com/player/patrik-laine], and he’ll be a UFA at the end of the year. After suffering an injury in the pre-season, he put up 20 goals in 52 games. That scoring rate is decent, but if Laine doesn’t produce more, his next contract will look drastically different than the one he has right now. Laine has a chance at playing more than 56 games for the first time since 2019-20. If he accomplishes that, it will be worth waiting to see whether he can score close to his career-high 44 goals from 2017-18. If he doesn’t get to the 30-goal plateau, he’s going to be playing for a lot less money in the years after that. The Canadiens [http://thn.com/montreal] will look to take a massive step forward this upcoming season, and Laine has a chance to prove his full value. Otherwise, with Juraj Slafkovsky, Cole Caufield, Ivan Demidov and newly acquired Zack Bolduc in contention for the top four winger spots, the coming year could be Laine’s final one in Montreal. MITCH MARNER, VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS Just because Marner is out of the fishbowl existence of Toronto doesn’t mean he won’t be watched like a hawk in every move he makes in his Golden Knights [http://thn.com/vegas] career. The pressure for Marner is all about delivering positive Stanley Cup playoff results and showing why Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon made him the Knights’ highest-paid player. Marner has to have solid regular-season numbers, but no one is expecting him not to. He’s a proven point producer in the regular season, but Marner has to be a difference-maker in nearly every playoff game – especially late in each round. If he falters in that test, you’d better believe some Leafs fans will cry out in joy. But if he can lead Vegas to its second Cup in franchise history, Marner will show everyone, cynics included, what his legacy is going to look like. And the Maple Leafs [http://thn.com/toronto] may yet still rue the day he left them. Mitch Marner Should Make Golden Knights' Jack Eichel A Rocket Richard Contender [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/c344c22b-740e-4547-9a4a-9555b8c9af74.webp] Mitch Marner Should Make Golden Knights' Jack Eichel A Rocket Richard Contender New Vegas Golden Knights teammates Mitch Marner and superstar Jack Eichel are expected to create magic in Sin City. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/mitch-marner-should-make-golden-knights-jack-eichel-a-rocket-richard-contender] TIMO MEIER, NEW JERSEY DEVILS When he was acquired from the San Jose Sharks [http://thn.com/sanjose] in 2023 at the trade deadline, much was expected of Meier. He had 35 goals and 76 points in 2021-22 and 31 goals and 52 points in 57 games before the trade in 2022-23. After his first two full years as a member of the Devils [https://puckpedia.com/player/jason-robertson], all we have to say about Meier is – is that all there is? Now, we’re not arguing Meier isn’t an above-average NHL player. In the past two seasons, Meier combined for 54 goals and 105 points, but his average ice time dropped to below 18 minutes with the Devils, while he averaged between 19 and 20 minutes in his final two campaigns with the Sharks. But Meier has the highest cap hit among Devils forwards at $8.8 million, $800,000 more than Jack Hughes’ cap hit. Only Dougie Hamilton has a higher average annual value on the squad. Clearly, he has a lot to prove in the third season of an eight-year contract, and earning more ice time help. If he fails to get the job done next year, and if New Jersey fails to do much in the playoffs, Meier’s full no-trade clause may be challenged by Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald. Five NHL Centers With The Most To Prove In 2025-26 [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/808f2e0f-cfc4-421c-b886-bf53f4e56261.webp] Five NHL Centers With The Most To Prove In 2025-26 What makes sports, and hockey specifically, unique and intriguing are storylines. In the NHL, it's the off-ice drama, milestone-chasing and pursuit of the Stanley Cup. [https://thehockeynews.com/news/latest-news/five-nhl-centers-with-the-most-to-prove-in-2025-26] JASON ROBERTSON, DALLAS STARS Robertson has been relatively consistent for most of his NHL career. In his sophomore NHL season, Robertson put up 41 goals, and three seasons ago, he generated a whopping 46 goals and 109 points for the Stars [http://thn.com/dallas]. In the past two seasons, Robertson’s production has fallen off a bit. He had 29 and 35 goals in the last two years, as well as 80 points in each season. Those numbers would be terrific for most NHLers, but when you’re earning $7.75 million per season on a four-year contract [https://puckpedia.com/player/jason-robertson], as Robertson is, you’re going to be judged by a higher standard. Ratcheting up the pressure to prove something this year is the fact Robertson is entering the final year of his contract. He’s going to be an RFA next summer, and he can make a more convincing argument he’s worth a significant raise by improving on his past two seasons and demonstrating he’s a vital part of Dallas’ core. He already surfaced in trade rumors this year as the team signed Mikko Rantanen to an eight-year contract extension and re-signed Matt Duchene for four years, not leaving much room for Robertson to get a raise. Robertson has a chance to quiet the speculation and force Dallas to clear cap space elsewhere. Otherwise, he could be playing for a new team in 2026-27 – or sooner. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.
