NHL free agency is always filled with drama, and Mitch Marner’s free agency promised to be one of the most dramatic stories. The young, talented winger had seemingly worn out his welcome in Toronto and was destined to go elsewhere. Now the saga ends before free agency opens, as the Maple Leafs have traded him to the Vegas Golden Knights.
It’s a trade that will be met with a huge range of opinions. At 28 years old, Marner has averaged 96 points per season over the last four years. He’s consistently healthy and makes life easy on his teammates. His level of hockey sense and puck movement will play even as he ages. But there are large question marks.
The Toronto Side
Marner ran out his welcome in Toronto for a few reasons.
On the ice, he’s not the most physical player, which is acceptable in the regular season when you can put up 100+ points but less so in the playoffs. Taking a hit to make a play isn’t Marner’s style, and it has affected his playoff production. His points per game go from 1.27 in the last four regular seasons to a flat 1.0 in the postseason. The Leafs have made the playoffs every year of Marner’s career, so it’s not a lack of experience that holds him back.
There’s also the off-ice problems. Marner has been knocked for a lackluster ethic in the past. His last contract negotiation with Toronto was viewed as hostile, as he tried to “squeeze every cent” out of the Leafs. That left a bad feeling in the organization, as the team was trying to compete for long-awaited championships, and the extra money he demanded took away from free agent negotiations elsewhere.
It’s certainly unusual for the general reaction by a fan base to be “good riddance” when a player of this caliber leaves, but here we are.
The Vegas Side
On the Vegas side, it’s an expensive but necessary deal. The Knights are powerful down the middle but lacks top-end wing play outside of Mark Stone, and now he forms an exciting top-line pairing with Jack Eichel. If it can get Marner to buy in and get gritty, Vegas has the makeup of a Stanley Cup contender. Its odds have already jumped on DraftKings Sportsbook, moving to fifth-highest.
Ultimately, whether or not Marner succeeds in Vegas, I doubt the Maple Leafs and their fans will have regrets. It’s up to Marner stepping up in the playoffs to decide if Vegas will regret this deal. If he’s everything Toronto media paints him to be, a $96M deal to a diva that refuses to take a hit could sink this team.
