Nylander dismisses talk of premeditated Marner exit

William Nylander isn't buying into the notion that Mitch Marner was already planning to leave the Toronto Maple Leafs midway through the 2024-25 campaign.

"Not sure where that stuff comes from, but I don't think he was ever thinking of leaving ahead of time," Nylander told NHL.com's Mike Zeisberger at the NHL/NHLPA European player media tour on Friday. "I actually asked him during the season, and he said he was concentrating on Toronto. I didn't want to press him on that and let him be because it was obviously on his mind, but his play was focused on helping us. Then I asked him after the season, and he wasn't sure."

Marner joined the Vegas Golden Knights this offseason on an eight-year, $96-million contract following a sign-and-trade with the Maple Leafs.

During his introductory press conference in Vegas, Marner admitted that things began to go south in Toronto when trade rumors started swirling about two years ago.

While the Maple Leafs tried to extend Marner before the 2025 trade deadline, they apparently also explored their options. Toronto reportedly attempted to send the 28-year-old to the Carolina Hurricanes in a deal that would've shipped Mikko Rantanen to Toronto, but Marner used his no-movement clause to nix the trade. A separate three-team deal involving the Hurricanes and Golden Knights was reportedly discussed, with Rantanen heading to Toronto and Marner to Vegas. However, Carolina and Vegas were unable to find the necessary assets to complete the trade.

"It's tough seeing him go, but I'm so happy for him and his family," Nylander said. "He got to pick where he went, so, in that aspect, I'm happy for him. We're going to miss him a lot, but that's just the business of the sport. That's the way it is. So we've got to regroup as a team and figure out a way to keep winning games."

The Maple Leafs added forwards Matias Maccelli, Dakota Joshua, and Nicolas Roy this offseason in an effort to fill the void left by Marner.

Marner's 741 points in 657 games are the fifth-most in franchise history. However, he managed only 13 goals and 50 assists across 70 career playoff games in Toronto.

Nylander is under contract longer than any current Maple Leafs player after inking an eight-year, $92-million extension in January 2024.