The Vegas Golden Knights made the biggest splash during the unrestricted free agency period when they acquired star winger Mitch Marner in a sign-in-trade deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs this summer.

Vegas had to give up centre Nicolas Roy to the Maple Leafs as part of the deal and then signed Marner to a monster eight-year, $96 million contract that carries an annual cap hit of $12 million.

Now, Vegas is looking to see how their new piece fits into a squad that finished in top spot of the Pacific Division with a 50-22-10 record last season.

Marner, 28, recorded 27 goals and a career-high 102 points in 81 games last season with the Maple Leafs. His point total would have also placed him as the Golden Knights' leading scorer last year, which was eight points ahead of star centre Jack Eichel.

Head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters on Wednesday that Eichel and Marner will play together at times during the preseason, but whether they stay together will depend on their chemistry.

"They will have time together [but] whether they have chemistry, that's to be determined," said Cassidy. "Sometimes on paper, you look at chemistry and think it's going to work and it doesn't. And sometimes other lines just come together naturally. So that, to me, is a little bit unpredictable. There's always cues that you think, 'It will work.' But who knows?”

One of the reasons Cassidy believes that the two players may have to play on separate lines is that he believes they are similar type of players.

Both Marner and Eichel are considered to be playmakers who are more focused on setting up a teammate rather than scoring the goal themselves.

Marner finished third in the NHL with 75 assists with only Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov and Colorado Avalanche Nathan MacKinnon recording more. Meanwhile, Eichel landed sixth on the list with 66 assists.

"Those guys both like to hang on to the puck," said Cassidy. "If they're together, who's the best shooter on that line? So that could change. I think it's pairs first, and then the threesome. That's how I'll look at it."

Marner played his entire nine-season career in Toronto up to this point and is used to playing with high-end players after being on the same lines as stars like Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and John Tavares.

The Thornhill, Ont., native is looking forward to continuing that trend in Vegas, singling out Eichel as someone who he believes is elite at both ends of the ice.

"[Eichel is] obviously an exceptional player, a guy that really moves well up and down the ice, both ends of the ice very responsible," Marner said during his introductory press conference on July 2. "At the same time, he's got a deadly shot with his vision and playmaking style as well. I'm very excited to start working with him and try to figure out the chemistry quickly and get that rolling."

Eichel has had numerous skilled teammates in his four seasons with the Golden Knights but believes Marner is someone who thinks at the same elite level as he does.

The 6-foot-2 centre relayed his excitement of the coming season during the United States Olympic orientation camp in Plymouth, Mich., last week.

"From talking to people who played with him in Toronto, I just think his hockey sense and creativity is on another level," said Eichel. "[I'll be] just trying to develop chemistry as quick as possible and be able to reach off each other.

"He's a guy who can create so much by himself, and he can create so much from nothing, and there's only so many guys in the world who can do that. That's a really special talent that I think he has. He makes the players around him better. I think we've seen that since he's come into the league, so he's going to do the same in Vegas."