Mitch Marner, the NHL’s top 2025 unrestricted free agent, is off the list after being traded to the Vegas Golden Knights and agreeing to an eight-year, $96 million contract a day before free agency opens, according to multiple reports.
The Toronto Maple Leafs will receive center Nicolas Roy in the June 30 trade, giving them a return for a player they could have lost for nothing.
Last year, the Carolina Hurricanes received only a third-round pick for Jake Guentzel when they traded his rights to the Tampa Bay Lightning before free agency opened.
Marner had 102 points this past season, fifth best in the league and eight more than Jack Eichel, the Golden Knights’ leading scorer in 2024-25. At a $12 million average, Marner will be the Golden Knights’ top-paid player, though Eichel ($10 million cap hit) is in the final year of his contract and is eligible to sign an extension.
The Golden Knights had to move players to make the money work. Roy ($3 million) had 31 points for Vegas and has two years left on his deal.
The team also traded defenseman Nicolas Hague to the Predators for forward Colton Sissons (Nashville retained half his salary) and defenseman Jeremy Lauzon. Hague signed a four-year, $22 million contact with Nashville.
Marner ranks fifth in Maple Leafs history with 741 points in the regular season.
The Maple Leafs also received forward Matias Maccelli in a trade with the Utah Mammoth on June 30.
Alex Pietrangelo injury update
Though the Golden Knights are adding Marner, they will be without defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, one of the top acquisitions in franchise history. Pietrangelo and general manager Kelly McCrimmon put out statements on the defenseman’s health.
Said Pietrangelo: “The past few years have been very challenging on my physical well-being, and I am in a difficult position with my overall playing health. After exploring options with doctors as well as my family, it’s been advised to remove the intensity of hockey to see if my body can improve so that I can return to a normal quality of life. This decision has been difficult to come to terms with after the last 17 years of competition and the camaraderie with my teammates and coaches. The likelihood is low that my body will recover to the standard required to play, but I know this is the right decision for me and my family.”
Said McCrimmon: “Alex has our organization’s full support in prioritizing his long-term health and quality of life. Alex is dealing with hips that would require bilateral femur reconstruction, with no guarantee of success. Throughout the season, the steps that Alex needed to take to be able to play and practice began to grow and take a significant toll on his body. Our hope in February during the NHL’s break for the 4 Nations Face-Off was to give Alex treatment and rest to help provide relief, but instead, what we found were diminished positive results and a process that is no longer sustainable moving forward.
‘Alex has given everything to the game and to the Golden Knights and has played through significant challenges in the pursuit of trying to win another Stanley Cup in Vegas. He is one of the most respected players in the league, not only for his elite talent but for his character, leadership, competitiveness, and professionalism. Today’s decision is a difficult one for both Alex and the Golden Knights, but it is being made for the right reasons – so that Alex can be the family man we all know him to be.’