Another early exit in the postseason from the Toronto Maple Leafs made it feel inevitable that a major move in some capacity would come about this offseason. Well, once the offseason began, it became extremely apparent that Mitch Marner would be the core player who was not going to be brought back. The Maple Leafs wound up trading his rights to the Vegas Golden Knights officially on Monday, and will pay a hefty price to ensure Marner is part of their core long-term.
8 X $12M for Marner https://t.co/04I4Skg2Sg
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) June 30, 2025
What the Golden Knights will send to Toronto to acquire Marner's rights is unclear at this time, but according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the terms of the contract are eight years, $96 million. He'll make an average of $12 million annually for the better part of the next decade. This is a massive contract, making Marner one of the highest-paid players in the game, but Marner happens to be one of the best players in the sport.
Golden Knights go extra mile to sign best free agent available
Marner is coming off a season in which he scored 27 goals and dished out 75 assists, giving him a total of 102 points - a career-high. Marner ranked fifth in the NHL in points, and outscored everyone on the Golden Knights. Playing alongside Auston Matthews helps, obviously, but there's no denying Marner's talent, particularly as a facilitator.
What makes Marner so special, though, is his two-way ability. Marner played a crucial role on the penalty kill in Toronto, and is a complete 200-foot player. Marner ranked seventh in the Selke Trophy voting this past season, and was a finalist for the award a couple of years ago.
The contract is undoubtedly a hefty one, but Marner's body of work is one deserving of a deal like that. He's a proven superstar, and as a 28-year-old coming off his best regular season, he might have even more room to grow.
While the signing was obviously a good one, it's hard to ignore the one glaring hole in Marner's game.
Golden Knights hope Mitch Marner's playoff woes are a Maple Leafs problem
Marner is one of the best regular season players in the sport and has been for quite some time, but the script flips completely in the playoffs. When the bright lights come on, it feels like Marner just disappears, and the stats back that up.
Just this season in the second round against the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, Marner had a total of one assist in the final four games of that series. In the previous season, Marner was held without a point in Toronto's final two games in its first-round loss against the Boston Bruins. To go even further, in the last game of every playoff round Marner has participated in, he has totaled three assists in 11 appearances, and has not scored a single goal. Even when the Leafs have been able to move on, Marner has been invisible at the end of series'.
The Golden Knights clearly attribute Marner's playoff struggles to the Maple Leafs more than to Marner. As a team that has a history of making deep playoff runs consistently, they hope Marner will gel with his battle-tested teammates and play an integral role in many deep playoff runs.
It's a worthy bet to take for a player as talented and established as Marner, but until he proves he's a $96 million player in the playoffs, it's hard to give the Golden Knights too much praise for this deal.
Mitch Marner contract grade: A-