from Travis Yost of TSN,

The Jonathan Marchessault Revenge Tour has arrived at the doorstep of the Florida Panthers.

It’s a story six years in the making and may be one of the most intriguing storylines of the Stanley Cup Final.

The now-infamous expansion draft trade sending Marchessault and Reilly Smith to the Vegas Golden Knights in order to protect players like Mark Pysyk and Alex Petrovic dramatically shaped the future of the expansion club. It was a shockingly bad decision by the Panthers brass at the time, and it was one of the biggest tailwinds for the Golden Knights as the franchise built an instant contender.

Six seasons later, Marchessault remains a key cog in the Vegas machine. He’s scored 180 goals over his Vegas career and has arguably saved his best hockey for when it has mattered most. Marchessault has already amassed nine goals and 17 points this postseason, including a Game 6 natural hat trick against the Edmonton Oilers.

But those counting numbers understate how dominant he and his line have been in these playoffs. Allow me to put the spotlight on something that I find striking – so much so that it gives him an inside shot at winning the Conn Smythe Trophy.

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