Toronto Maple Leafs forward is expected to become a free agent on July 1, but he nearly ended up with the Vegas Golden Knights earlier this season.
Following the NHL trade deadline, reports emerged that He, who has a no-movement clause in his contract, had declined a deal that would’ve sent him to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Mikko Rantanen. Carolina ultimately dealt Rantanen to the Dallas Stars instead.
After Toronto’s playoff exit, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Maple Leafs had trade discussions with Vegas over the summer, expressing interest in defenseman Shea Theodore.
According to Friedman, Vegas made it clear Theodore wasn’t available: “I heard [Vegas] told people, ‘You wanna watch Shea Theodore? You can buy a ticket to watch him play for us.’ And they stuck to it.”
Now, 22 days into Toronto’s offseason, The Athletic’s James Mirtle added new insight, revealing that the Leafs, Golden Knights, and Hurricanes discussed a potential three-team trade before the deadline. In this scenario, Toronto would have landed Rantanen, Marner would’ve gone to Vegas, and the Golden Knights would have sent assets to Carolina.
Although it’s unclear how advanced these talks became or whether Marner was formally asked to waive his no-move clause to go to Vegas, the proposed trade reportedly broke down due to Vegas and Carolina not finding the right pieces — not because of any hesitation from Toronto.
As Marner addressed the media during locker cleanout day at Ford Performance Centre, he reflected on his future, leaving the door slightly ajar for a possible return. Drafted 4th overall in 2015, Marner ranks fifth in franchise history in points (741 in 657 games), fourth in assists (520), and fifth in playoff points (63 in 70 games). He just completed his first 100-point season, with 27 goals and 75 assists in 81 games.
Despite his place in Maple Leafs history, Marner hasn’t committed to staying with the team, repeatedly giving noncommittal answers when asked about his future.
“Always loved my time here,” he said. “Like I said to you guys the other night, I’ve been so grateful. I haven’t processed anything yet. It’s still so fresh.”
With most NHL teams preparing to pursue him in free agency, it appears increasingly likely that Marner’s days in Toronto are numbered. If so, he’ll leave after a strong postseason showing: 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in 13 games against Ottawa and Florida.
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