Marchessault set to face Knights for 1st time: ‘I can’t wait to see the boys’

Jonathan Marchessault isn’t nervous. He’s excited.

He’s not worried about preparing for one of the most emotional regular-season games of his career Tuesday. He’s just ecstatic he’ll see some old friends for dinner Monday night.

“I would say I’m more excited to see all my teammates that I played with for a lot of years, and that I won with,” Marchessault said. “That’s the thing I’m excited to do. I can’t wait to see the boys.”

The next day will be a different story.

Marchessault, the expansion-draft pick that became the Golden Knights’ all-time leading scorer, will play his former team for the first time when he and the rest of the Nashville Predators welcome the Knights to Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday.

Marchessault, 34, signed a five-year, $27.5 million contract with the Predators on July 1. He played seven years for the Knights and won the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP when the team lifted the Stanley Cup in 2023.

Still, he and the team couldn’t agree to terms on a new deal over the summer with Marchessault coming off a 42-goal season. He still holds the franchise records for goals (192) and points (417).

“At the end of the day, I was just sad of leaving seven years of greatness in a great organization,” Marchessault said in a phone interview with the Review-Journal on Monday. “As much as you want to say that they have a reputation of being a hard team, they run a performance-based team. The way they do it sometimes can be harsh, but it’s really a great way to do it.

“When July 1 happened, I was just sad to not be part of that anymore because I know it’s a great organization.”

Marchessault added he was happy to join the Predators, one of the NHL’s biggest spenders this past offseason.

Nashville, in addition to Marchessault, signed former Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos and defenseman Brady Skjei the first day of free agency.

Nashville’s struggles

All those splashy moves haven’t led to success for the Predators.

Nashville, at 13-22-7, is one of the NHL’s largest disappointments this season. The club sits 15 points out of a playoff spot with 40 games to play.

“I’ve come here to Nashville not to win in the first year,” Marchessault said. “I’ve come here because I want to help the organization win in the next five years. That’s my goal. I bought into the new system and I bought in with management. … They wanted me to bring some sort of work ethic and culture here, and that’s what I’m going to do and hopefully it brings us to a championship at some point.”

Meanwhile, Marchessault’s former team has been flourishing. The Knights (29-11-3) are tied with the Washington Capitals atop the league standings.

Marchessault said he’s happy to see his old club doing well. He’s also not surprised. He credited the work of the Knights’ top line — center Jack Eichel, captain Mark Stone and left wing Ivan Barbashev — for how it’s carried play most nights.

“Jack, Barbs and Stoney have had an amazing year,” Marchessault said. “Sometimes you need just one line to bring you somewhere exceptional.”

Finding his game

Leaving the Knights has been part of an emotional year for Marchessault.

His junior team, the Quebec Remparts, retired his No. 18 jersey Sept. 21. Marchessault’s mother, Lesly, died suddenly from a heart attack the day before, but he and his family elected to go through with the ceremony.

Afterward Marchessault had to adjust to life in a new city with a new team. He started slow with 12 points his first 25 games. He’s since looked like the player Nashville hoped it was acquiring, scoring 10 goals and 19 points his past 17 appearances.

A huge part of his turnaround has been the Predators’ decision to put him on a line with Stamkos and left wing Filip Forsberg. Trying to contain that trio will be a new challenge for the Knights as they face Marchessault for the first time.

It’ll be weird. It’ll be exciting. Marchessault is embracing it all.

“I love every single person in that organization, and I’m super grateful for the seven years I was there,” Marchessault said. “It was the ride of a lifetime and it was unbelievable.”

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