The Vegas Golden Knights made what could end up being the biggest splash of the offseason, signing Mitch Marner to an eight-year, $96 million deal. In order to get the star winger signed to an that massive contract, they had to pull off a sign-and-trade with Marner's former team, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Once the deal becomes official, an already formidable Golden Knights team gets even scarier.
While the terms of the trade are not yet official, it's looking like Nicolas Roy, a solid bottom-six forward, will be headed to Toronto. It certainly hurts to lose a player like Roy, but replacing him with Marner, a proven superstar, makes it obviously worthwhile.
Pending trade call being completed. As was previously reported/speculated, assuming it goes through, it will be Nic Roy to TOR and signed Mitch Marner to VGK. The trade is, I believe, one for one. https://t.co/9y2wn1Q5Km
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) June 30, 2025
Vegas was already stacked without Marner, and adding the 102-point scorer from this past season only makes their top three lines even deeper. They might have the best top nine in the NHL right now.
Golden Knights projected lines show Vegas might have best forward group in NHL
Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
Pavel Dorofeyev | Jack Eichel | Mitch Marner |
Ivan Barbashev | Tomas Hertl | Mark Stone |
Brandon Saad | William Karlsson | Reilly Smith |
Keegan Kolesar | Brett Howden | Alexander Holtz |
Honestly, the Golden Knights can order their lines however they please. In all likelihood, no matter what they do, they will have one of, if not the, deepest forward groups in the NHL. They have an opportunity to pair two top-15 players on the same line in Marner and Jack Eichel, and adding a 35-goal scorer in Pavel Dorofeyev, who broke out in a huge way last season, makes a lot of sense.
What makes this Knights team so special is the depth it has. Marner's addition bumps Mark Stone, another elite right winger, to the second line. And hey, if the Knights want to just stack their high-end talent, it's not as if he can't go on the line with Eichel and Marner as well. There's a good chance William Karlsson will now be their third-line center which, again, is absurd.
As great as the Knights are roster-wise, Eichel was their only forward who posted more than 70 points last season. Obviously, Stone's injury impacted that, but still, they needed another high-end forward. Marner has averaged at least a point per game in eight of his nine NHL seasons, and set a career high with his 102-point campaign last season.
Marner's postseason track record is undoubtedly concerning, but a majority of his new teammates won the Stanley Cup in 2023. He's joining a team that already has a winning culture in place, and that should only help his performance when the lights get bright.
The Knights were already supremely talented on paper and just added a star. They might be the team to beat in the Western Conference as a result.