5 Players Under The Most Pressure in 2024-25

As the NHL's 2024-25 season gets set to face off in a week, it's fair to wonder which players will be under the most pressure to perform in the coming campaign. Nobody said this job was easy, and that's why they get paid handsomely.

With the help of insider Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, we bring you the 5 players who will be under the most scrutiny this coming season.

1. Mitch Marner, Toronto Maple Leafs

You saw this one coming, right? Marner is entering the final season of his six-year, $10.9 million AAV contract, and can be an unrestricted free agent on July 1st. Will the Leafs let it get that far?

Marner's name was thrown around all summer in trade rumors, as critics figure the Leafs need to move on from one of the most talented players in the world because he (and they) simply haven't performed up to snuff in the playoffs. Will Marner and the team reach agreement on an extension this season? And if not, will he wield his full no-movement clause to prevent a trade at the deadline? As Seravalli says, the spotlight will be "scorching hot" on Marner in Toronto this season. Now, that's pressure.

2. Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins

We're making a change to Seravalli's list for our No. 2 player facing the most pressure this season. Swayman and the Bruins are in a heavyweight battle over the RFA's next contract. They began throwing barbs at each other through the media this week. It appears that the young goalie with only three years of sharing a top job won't settle for anything less than an $8 million AAV (or likely more).

When—IF—he does finally sign, the pressure will really be on Swayman to perform up to that standard.

3. Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin, Colorado Avalanche

Next on Seravalli's list is an entry, as the two key Avs players will not start the season in the lineup, and "no one has a clue exactly how they will perform once they make their way back." They're using up a total of $13.125 million of the salary cap, and the Avs are handcuffed.

While Landeskog has missed the last two full seasons with a knee injury, Nichushkin is currently on the back half of a six-month suspension, in Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.

4. Jacob Trouba, New York Rangers

We've got Trouba at No. 4 on this list, after a summer of trade rumors and questions about his future with the Blueshirts. With two years remaining on his $8M cap hit, he came into camp pretty much admitting this will be his final year on Broadway. Unless, as Seravalli notes, he makes himself "indispensable."

5. Erik Karlsson, Pittsburgh Penguins

After the huge trade to acquire him last season, and the massive chunk of cap space he eats up, Karlsson will face severe pressure trying to better live up to expectations this season, and help get the Penguins back to the playoffs. After his 101-point season with the San Jose Sharks before the trade, his production dropped by nearly half in his first year with the Penguins, down to 11 goals and 56 points.