It might be the most highly anticipated season in Golden Knights history.

The ninth season begins Thursday when the Knights open training camp at City National Arena. Expectations were already high following a five-game loss to the Edmonton Oilers in the second round last season.

They became astronomical the moment right wing Mitch Marner shook general manager Kelly McCrimmon’s hand and held his gold No. 93 sweater July 1.

Here are three storylines to watch as camp begins:

1. Who plays with Marner?

It’s been the biggest question since the Knights acquired Marner in a sign-and-trade from the Toronto Maple Leafs that came with an eight-year, $96 million contract.

Marner will wear new colors for the first time in his career. The No. 4 pick from the 2015 NHL draft had 741 points in 657 games with his hometown Maple Leafs.

But who Marner skates with in that first drill is where the focus goes.

It’s expected Marner starts with center Jack Eichel on the top line, but that’s not a given. Eichel and captain Mark Stone were great as a pair, outscoring opponents 42-27 when on the ice together last season, according to the website Natural Stat Trick.

Marner, one of the league’s best two-way wingers, could be a dynamic complement to Eichel and allow Stone to move down the lineup.

Coach Bruce Cassidy hinted Monday that Marner and Eichel will play together, but chemistry will be the key factor.

2. When does Eichel sign?

Yes, this still needs to be addressed.

It’s been more than two months since Eichel became eligible to sign a contract extension with the Knights — one that should result in the largest cap hit the Knights have rewarded a player.

Eichel, 28, is entering the final season of an eight-year, $80 million contract he signed with the Buffalo Sabres in October 2017.

It’s understandable that fans grow restless until pen is put to paper in these situations. Imagine how the Oilers are feeling until Connor McDavid officially re-signs.

Although many would have liked for this to be wrapped up with Eichel secured in Las Vegas through the prime of his career, there’s no need to panic.

McCrimmon has said getting Eichel signed is a priority. Eichel loves the city and has the utmost respect for the organization that believed in him to get his preferred neck surgery after acquiring him from the Sabres in November 2021, and the team he won the Stanley Cup with in 2023.

McCrimmon handled most of the Knights’ free-agent business during last season. That included locking up defenseman Shea Theodore (seven years) and goaltender Adin Hill (six years) to long-term deals.

Eichel is coming off a career-high 94-point season. He finished fifth in the Hart Trophy voting for league MVP and was a finalist for the Selke Trophy (defensive forward).

The Knights understand Eichel’s worth. It’s just a matter of what makes sense for both sides. It could happen by the end of training camp, or it could happen two months from now.

It would take something catastrophic for a deal to not get done.

3. Replacing Alex Pietrangelo

The Knights will soon face a reality of not having the star defenseman in the lineup, or in the locker room.

Pietrangelo, 35, probably will never play again because of a hip injury that requires reconstruction surgery.

Trying to fill the void of a former captain, a two-time Stanley Cup champion and more than 1,000 games played is going to be by committee.

That responsibility, at least at the top, begins with Theodore and Noah Hanifin.

Theodore is coming off a career-high 57 points despite missing 15 games because of a broken wrist suffered in the 4 Nations Face-Off. Hanifin had an inconsistent season but missed just two games.

Brayden McNabb is coming off a career-high plus-42. Zach Whitecloud moves up to a top-four role after spending most of his career as a third-pairing blue liner.

Kaedan Korczak becomes an everyday player after signing a four-year extension July 2. His new partner will be Ben Hutton or Jeremy Lauzon.

It’s clear who Cassidy is relying on to drive the back end. What he’s looking for is who will step up as a vocal leader of that group. Expect Whitecloud to be one of those who takes a step in that department.

Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.