Vegas lands Marner on 8-year, $96M contract in sign-and-trade with Leafs

Mitch Marner is headed to the Vegas Golden Knights as part of a sign-and-trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the teams announced Tuesday.

His new pact with the Golden Knights is an eight-year deal worth $12 million annually, taking the top pending unrestricted free agent off the open market.

Center Nicolas Roy will go back to Toronto in the trade.

Marner's $12-million cap hit will tie him for the fifth-highest-paid player in the NHL next season, alongside Mikko Rantanen. Only Leon Draisaitl ($14 million), Auston Matthews ($13.25 million), Nathan MacKinnon ($12.6 million), and Connor McDavid ($12.5 million) will carry higher cap hits in 2025-26.

Marner recorded a career-high 102 points in 81 games last season. He amassed 741 points in 657 contests - the fifth-most in Maple Leafs history - across nine campaigns in Toronto.

However, Marner routinely underperformed in the playoffs, as did several of Toronto's core members. He's tallied 13 goals and 50 assists in 70 career postseason appearances, and the Leafs never advanced beyond Round 2 during his tenure. Marner produced zero goals and two assists in seven career winner-take-all contests, which Toronto was winless in.

Toronto drafted Marner - a native of nearby Thornhill, Ontario - fourth overall in 2015.

The right-winger could join forces on Vegas' top line with star center Jack Eichel, or he could slide down to the second line, centered by Tomas Hertl. Golden Knights captain Mark Stone has primarily played right wing with Eichel, and neither he nor Marner has spent much time on the left wing in the NHL.

Adding Marner will temporarily put the Golden Knights over the salary cap, which teams are allowed to exceed by 10% in the offseason. However, defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and his $8.8-million cap hit will go on long-term injured reserve this season with his playing career likely over. Vegas has also reportedly spoken to the Calgary Flames about trading for fellow right-shooting blue-liner Rasmus Andersson.

Roy stands at 6-foot-4 and 201 pounds, and he fills a major need for the Maple Leafs as a third-line center. The 28-year-old is signed for two more seasons with a $3-million cap hit. He recorded 15 goals and 16 assists in 71 outings last campaign and won a Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights in 2023.

The Maple Leafs added Matias Maccelli in a trade with the Utah Mammoth on Monday and have also agreed to new deals with Matthew Knies, John Tavares, and Steven Lorentz this offseason.