The Toronto Maple Leafs are sending star winger Mitch Marner for the Vegas Golden Knights. Multiple reports indicate the Maple Leafs trade superstar Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade in exchange for forward Nicolas Roy. Marner's new contract will be eight years at $96 million with an annual cap hit at $12 million per season. Marner, 28, is coming off a career-best season in which he recorded 27 goals and 75 assists for 102 points through 81 games played. The Markham native was and has been heavily scrutinized for his play in the playoffs despite recording a point-per-game average through 13 games this last postseason. The argument is that most of the points come early on in the series while he goes quiet towards series-clinching games. During the regular season, Marner has been a bonified superstar with the eighth-most points in the NHL over the last four seasons with 383 through 302 games, placing himself ahead of names like Sidney Crosby, Kirill Kaprizov and J.T. Miller. The spotlight on Marner will continue to be bright as he will get a fresh start with the Golden Knights and will immediately make them the team to beat in the West. The Vegas Golden Knights are listed with +1000 odds to win the Stanley Cup next season. Roy will be a solid addition to a Maple Leafs team looking to add depth. The 28-year-old Quebec native will add grit to a Toronto team that likely expects a playoff matchup with the back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. Roy's frame at 6-foot-4 and over 200 pounds has proven to be a difference maker in playoff games as he was on the Golden Knights during the 2023 season when they won the Stanley Cup. He recorded 11 points through 22 games of their championship run and will likely add 30-40 points in the middle-six of Toronto's forward group. New additions like Roy, Matias Maccelli from Utah as well as re-signing Steven Lorentz will make the Maple Leafs a more physical, tougher team to play against and could make them a tougher out in the playoffs. Toronto is listed with +2500 odds to win the Stanley Cup next season.
