The Toronto Maple Leafs may have parted ways with Mitch Marner, but Auston Matthews‘ new teammate doesn’t care. Upon arriving in The Six, Nicolas Roy dropped a bold message, putting the Florida Panthers and the NHL on notice.
Run from it, dread it—destiny arrives all the same. Marner’s time in Toronto officially came to an end, saving one last dramatic chapter for its grand finale. After the sign-and-trade to the Vegas Golden Knights, it’s a new day in Ontario—alas, a new beginning for the Maple Leafs.
Matthews and the Leafs know the task won’t become any easier without Marner in the locker room. It might provide much-needed fresh air for both parties, but the winger’s exit doesn’t take anything away from what Toronto and its fans are after. They want the Cup. Marne’s situation set an example: heads can—and in fact, will—roll if the Maple Leafs fail to deliver.
Toronto acquired 28-year-old Nicolas Roy from Vegas on the Marner trade, and the new face in the locker room is already excited to get to work. Ahead of a new NHL season, Roy poked the reigning champs, the Panthers, with a clear warning about the Maple Leafs.
Nicolas Roy #10 of the Vegas Golden Knights looks on after shaking hands with the Edmonton Oilers following Game Five of the Second Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at T-Mobile Arena on May 14, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“I think the Panthers’ biggest challenge was the Leafs,” Roy firmly stated, per Sportsnet’s Luke Fox.
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NHL News: Mitch Marner takes slight jab at Auston Matthews’ Maple Leafs shortly after joining Golden Knights
Rinse and repeat
Desperate for success in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Maple Leafs might have acquired a pivotal piece to their puzzle in Roy. The 28-year-old forward hoisted the Cup in 2023 with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Not only did Roy etch his name on the most coveted trophy, but he did so by defeating Florida in the Final. The Golden Knights dismantled the Panthers in the decisive stage with a gentleman’s sweep. At the time, it felt like Florida’s Cinderella run had come to an abrupt end—but it was actually just the beginning of an era of sheer dominance.
Mitchell Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs takes a breather against the Montreal Canadiens during the first period in an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on April 12, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
That loss was burned into the Cats, who learned from it and have become a wagon since. Now, the NHL’s boogeyman resides in Broward County, and Roy is hoping to take it down once again—this time with the Maple Leafs.
Look at me now
While Roy is excited about joining the Maple Leafs—his childhood club, as he admitted, due to his admiration for NHL legend Mats Sundin—Marner might actually be even more ecstatic about becoming a Golden Knight. The winger made that clear with an honest statement during his introductory press conference.
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Not to Vegas: Mitch Marner admits his career with the Maple Leafs could’ve ended sooner with shocking trade deadline move
“You want to be in a place where you want to win. That’s the whole goal of why we do this. You want to hoist that Stanley Cup. This team has shown they can do it,” Mitch Marner admitted. “Since it entered the league, this team has really pushed the boundaries and become a winning team.
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“That’s where I want to be, I want to be in a winning situation. I’ve been lucky enough to be in some very good teams and with very good players. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to get over the hump. That sucks a lot, to be honest. But you’ve got to look past things.”
