Welcome to another edition of NHL Rumours. The Mitch Marner sweepstakes may be over before free agency day arrives. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights are reportedly working on a trade including Marner’s signing rights. The right winger would be the biggest free agent on the market by a long margin. Furthermore, he’d be the biggest free agent signing to a new team since Artemi Panarin to the New York Rangers in 2019.

Reports Say Marner Is Headed To Vegas

Multiple reporters and sources have hinted at the fact that Marner could become a member of the Golden Knights very soon. TSN’s Darren Dreger was the first to report on it. He said, “Talks are ongoing between Vegas and Toronto (about a) re-sign and trade for Marner.”

Sources say talks are ongoing between Vegas and Toronto re sign and trade for Marner.

— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) June 28, 2025

In addition to this report, David Pagnotta of TheFourthPeriod said that Marner’s extension could be coming in the ballpark of four years at $12 million per season.

This wouldn’t be Toronto general manager Brad Treliving’s first sign-and-trade of his career. During his time with the Calgary Flames, he had a similar situation with Matthew Tkachuk and the Florida Panthers. It was understood that Tkachuk didn’t want to sign an extension with the Flames. That led to Treliving shopping the right winger before free agency hit. Calgary were able to get a hefty return, receiving Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. At the time of the trade, it was determined that Treliving and the Flames got the better haul.

What Toronto’s Return Could Be

General manager Kelly McCrimmon and the Golden Knights look to lock up Marner before the rest of the league gets a crack at him. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Toronto could receive centre Nicolas Roy from Vegas. The Leafs are bound to get nothing in return from losing Marner in free agency. Therefore, this could be a great return for  Treliving and the team.

Roy is a solid middleman who would likely take on the role of third-line centre with Toronto. The former Stanley Cup champion has scored over 10 goals and 30 points for the past four campaigns, including a career-high 41 points in 2023-24. He has two years remaining on his current contract at a $3 million cap hit.

In addition to the rumours that Roy could be joining Toronto, the Leafs could be receiving a defenceman. Bruce Garrioch of the Toronto Sun reported that the Leafs have asked for Nicolas Hague, along with Roy. Hague is a pending restricted free agent and requires a new contract. The 26-year-old is eligible for arbitration and is coming off a three-year deal at $2.29 million AAV.

If Hague were to be included with this trade, there’s the possibility that Toronto could flip him. Nonetheless, he is a highly-regarded blueliner across the league, and this potential return is better than getting nothing.

Main Photo Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images