Mitch Marner has been traded!

It is official.

On Saturday, the Toronto Maple Leafs struck a deal with the Vegas Golden Knights to send star forward Mitch Marner to the city of Las Vegas, Nevada. Marner, who was set to be an unrestricted free agent on July 1st.

GOAT NHL insider Bob McKenzie reports that Vegas has sent forward Nicolas Roy to Toronto in exchange for Marner in a one for one deal.

Over the course of his relatively short NHL career thus far, Marner has established himself as one of the league's truly elite point producers. Marner is coming off of a season in which he recorded 27 goals and a career high of 75 assists for a career high of 102 points over an 81 game regular season. Players of that stature simply do not grow on trees and it is easy to see why Vegas felt that they had to get in early on Marner.

Marner also had 2 goals and 11 assists for a total of 13 points over Toronto's most recent 13 game playoff run but, much like his fellow Maple Leafs, has often been criticized for his inability to deliver in the biggest moments. Whether or not that will change for Marner now that he is moving away from the bright lights and the pressure of playing in his hometown market, arguably the biggest hockey market in North America, remains to be seen.

In Nicolas Roy the Maple Leafs acquire a natural centerman, a position of need for the Maple Leafs, and one who has championship experience under his belt having won championships at both the American Hockey League level with the Charlotte Checkers as well as at the National Hockey League level as a member of the Golden Knights.

Roy is coming off of a 71 game season in which he recorded 16 goals and 16 assists for a total of 32 points over 71 games. He will be entering the 4th year of a 5 year deal with the Maple Leafs next season, a deal that carries an average annual value and cap hit of $3 million per season.