Golden Knights, Maple Leafs Discussed Blockbuster Marner Trade

Following yet another year of postseason mediocrity, the Toronto Maple Leafs are finally committing to making significant roster changes. And while nothing is set in stone, as of now, that means that Mitch Marner will become an Unrestricted Free Agent on July 1st.

Changes are coming in Toronto; Brad Treleving’s press conference on Thursday made that abundantly clear. For nearly a week now, rumors have swirled connecting the 102-point winger to the Vegas Golden Knights. But on Friday’s episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman reported that said interest dates back nearly a year.

According to Friedman, in the summer of 2024, the Golden Knights and the Maple Leafs discussed a potential Marner trade. However, it obviously never made it across the finish line.

“I do believe on some level last year that the Maple Leafs and Vegas talked about a trade,” said Friedman. “And this was last summer, at some point. I think Vegas was interested in Marner; I think Toronto talked to them, but nobody has ever confirmed it. And I think there were two reasons it never even got close.

Read More: Why Mitch Marner Does & Doesn’t Make Sense for Golden Knights

“Number one, I think Toronto was interested in Shea Theodore. And as the Golden Knights proved, they were not interested in trading him. They wanted to keep him,” continued Friedman. “As I heard, they told people, ‘You want to watch Shea Theodore? You can buy a ticket to watch him play for us.’ And they followed through on their word.

“And the second thing is,” Friedman finished, “I just think there was no guarantee that Marner, at that time, was going to be agreeing to anything. So while I do think the two teams talked about it and Vegas had some interest, I don’t think it was ever, ever realistic because of those two reasons.”

While this trade never quite materialized, this summer, the Golden Knights will have another opportunity to land the talented winger. On July 1st, they will have the chance to sign Marner. If that happens, they can ice a lineup containing both Marner and Shea Theodore.

And that is something that, in the words of the Golden Knights through Friedman, people should ‘buy a ticket to watch.’

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