Golden Knights facing severe penalties over tampering accusations.

Things are heating up in a major way in the National Hockey League with a number of trades going down last week both leading up to and at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, with more rumored to be coming in the next few days.

The rumor du jour however is that of a potential trade between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Vegas Golden Knights, a trade that would involve Maple Leafs star forward Mitch Marner but a trade that is quickly turning ugly.

On Monday morning, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman revealed that there are those in the league who believe the Maple Leafs will push for tampering charges to be levied against the Golden Knights should Marner sign with Vegas as a free agent. To be clear Friedman wasn't making the accusation himself but merely reporting that it is a very real possibility, but what would that mean for the Golden Knights?

Earlier this year the NHL sent out a memo warning teams about tampering and even outlined a number of punishments that could impact teams and players caught breaking the rules. Those punishments included:

Teams

• Up To $5 M Fine

• Termination Of Any Contracts Signed

• Forfeiture Of Draft Picks

• Awarding Draft Picks And/or Cash

To "Offended" Club

Individuals

• Up To $1 M Fine

• Suspension Or Expulsion

While there may have been some initial confusion about why this trade was happening, with Vegas in theory being able to sign Marner as a free agent in only a few days, the penalties listed above may provide the explanation.

If the Golden Knights believe there is a chance the NHL could find them guilty of tampering, it is likely far better for them to work out a trade with the Maple Leafs than face any of the potential consequences listed above.

Stay tuned as this story continues to get more and more interesting by the minute.