Vegas Golden Knights forward Max Pacioretty knows that if the league does resume this season, there will be an all-out battle for the Stanley Cup.

"I think this will be the hardest Stanley Cup to win out of all of them. Look at all the obstacles," Pacioretty said, according to team reporter Gary Lawless. "Who knows when we're going to play, where, fans or no fans, everything is up in the air. With that being said, whatever teams that have been banged up are healing up right now.

"They're getting their bodies ready and you better believe everyone around the league is trying to get every advantage possible in terms of recovery and getting in whatever shape they can. Most teams go into the playoffs beat up, but that won't be the case this year."

The 31-year-old has rebounded this season, lighting the lamp 32 times in 71 games before the league's pause on March 12. The Golden Knights looked primed for another deep playoff run, sitting first in the Pacific Division as the season neared its conclusion.

Pacioretty hopes the campaign he and his teammates put together won't be for nothing, and he'll do anything to get a shot at the Stanley Cup.

"I mean, if we had to wait six months and play in Antarctica, I'd be willing to do that," Pacioretty said. "We have a special group. We want to do whatever we can to finish out this year because we feel we have a group that's capable of doing special things and it's up to us as a group to try and achieve that when we do get started."

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