Failed trade for Mitch Marner resurfaces as it could now happen before free agency opens!

In his end-of-season press conference, Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving made it clear that significant changes were coming with a growing feeling that fans will not see Mitch Marner return to Toronto and expect to see him test free agency on July 1st. It’s been reported that the Leafs could consider sitting down with Marner and asking him for a shortlist of preferred destinations — ideally five to seven teams. This approach respects the player’s wishes while allowing Toronto to explore realistic trade options, with many insiders stating that Marner could very likely end up with the Los Angeles Kings or Vegas Golden Knights. The latter has prompted insider Elliotte Friedman to reveal last week how Marner was discussed in a trade between Toronto and Vegas, but how it never materialized in the end. From Friedman on his 32 Thoughts podcast, via Leafs’ Latest:

“I believe, on some level, last year that the Maple Leafs and Vegas talked about a trade with Mitch Marner. And this was last summer at some point. I think Vegas was interested in Marner. I think Toronto talked to them. Nobody has ever confirmed it. And I think there were two reasons it never even got close. Number one was that 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. As I heard, they told people, ‘You want to watch Shea Theodore? You’re going to watch him. You can buy a ticket to watch him play for us.’ And they followed through on their word.

“And the second thing is, 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.”

Marner recorded 27 goals and a career-high 102 points in 81 games with the Maple Leafs this season while playing out the last of a of a six-year, $65.41 million contract that carried an annual cap hit of $10.9 million . The 28-year-old forward added two goals and 13 points in 13 playoff games. He has to know how much he is worth on the open market.

While the aforementioned failed trade is unlikely to come true now, it definitely hints at the Golden Knights’ desire to add Marner to their roster and now we could see Vegas attempt to sign the talented winger this offseason.

Let’s see what happens with Marner and if he’s going to sign big in Sin City this summer.