Not to Vegas: Mitch Marner admits his career with the Maple Leafs could’ve ended sooner with shocking trade deadline move

As Mitch Marner finally moved on from the Toronto Maple Leafs, fans are discovering details on the rift between the player and the franchise that had selected him fourth overall in 2015. Shortly after joining the Vegas Golden Knights, Marner reflected on the past season, admitting his current NHL team could’ve been a different one.

It’s the gift that keeps on giving. The tea is now spilled all over the table after the Maple Leafs sent Marner westbound to Sin City. Ironically, Marner isn’t looking to commit any sins in Vegas, as he was refreshingly honest during his introductory press conference.

Vegas‘ brand-new acquisition is hoping to mold right into the team’s identity, as well as the city’s. So far so good. Aside from taking a slight shot at Toronto, Marner voiced his heart out during his first media availability as a Golden Knight.

It was at the organization’s practice facilities at City National Arena where Marner addressed almost every question regarding the biggest move of the NHL offseason. As the 28-year-old winger revealed, this might never have happened if he hadn’t declined an offer during the trade deadline.

Mitchell Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs warms up prior to playing against the Winnipeg Jets in an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on March 9, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

“The day prior to the deadline, we were offered a trade to go somewhere else,” Marner admitted. “My wife was seven or eight months pregnant at the time—we weren’t really going to move somewhere that might just be a short stint. If we were going somewhere, it was going to be with an extension. You know, to raise our child and grow there.“

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Vegas came knocking

“Then we heard Vegas might be interested in doing a three-team deal. From what it sounded like, not much happened process-wise. But that was when we started talking, saying, ‘Vegas has interest in us, and we’ve got interest in them.’ At that time, I was still really committed to playing in Toronto.”

“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 added.

Contract breakdown

Marner is now signed to an eight-year contract with a total value of $96M. The same carries an annual cap hit of $12M, which is now the highest contract in Vegas. It translates to roughly 12% of the franchise’s total cap hit. After taking Marner’s new deal entirely, the Golden Knights are currently $7,613,571 millions over the salary cap, per PuckPedia.

Marner will earn a total salary of $15 million during the 2025–26 campaign, with the figure dropping to $14 million the following year. His salary will continue to decrease to $13.75 million the year after, then to $11 million, and finally to $10 million for the last two years of the contract.