In today’s NHL rumours rundown, depending on how things unfold with Mitch Marner, the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Vegas Golden Knights, the Maple Leafs could go after the Golden Knights for tampering. Elsewhere, the Minnesota Wild are feeling confident that an extension with Kirill Kaprizov won’t be a problem. Finally, the Ottawa Senators and Claude Giroux seem to be at a stalemate.
Maple Leafs Could Go After Vegas for Tampering If Marner Signs
As is every year, there are always a few deals that are known before free agency is officially open. Sometimes the team has special permission to speak to the player, sometimes it just happens. Over the past few seasons, tampering has become more of a conversation, and according to Elliotte Friedman, the NHL is looking to make an example out of somebody.
That somebody could end up being the Golden Knights very soon if they were to sign Marner as a free agent. On the latest episode of 32 Thoughts, Friedman reported that the Maple Leafs are looking to go after Vegas for tampering.
Over the past couple of days, rumours have been picking up about a potential sign-and-trade between the two clubs, which would erase any possibility of a tampering investigation. The rumoured deal involves the Maple Leafs sending Marner to the Golden Knights, with the possibility of Nic Hague and Nicolas Roy going back to Toronto. Of course, that deal isn’t done yet, but there has been plenty of talk between the two teams about Marner going back to last year.
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At one point, there was a proposed trade on the table that included Vegas sending Shea Theodore back to Toronto, but the Golden Knights chose to keep Theodore over acquiring Marner. Friedman went on to say that at the 2025 NHL Draft Combine, Vegas told Toronto that they are still interested in Marner, and would like to talk about a deal.
With everything pointing to Marner heading to free agency, some may wonder why Vegas would give up assets for him. A deal like what has been rumoured will allow Vegas to clear some cap space and make room on the roster, and would also give them the option of an eighth year if it is a sign-and-trade. Friedman also stated that he believes that if it is a signing on the open market, it could be a four-year deal worth $12 million per season with Vegas.
The last part of the report was that the Golden Knights aren’t sure about Alex Pietrangelo and whether he will be out for next season or not. That could be a factor in this as well.
Wild Will Have “No Problem” Getting Kaprizov Extension Done
July 1 is always an exciting time. Not only are all of the available free agents signing new deals, but it is the turn of the NHL calendar and players can be signed to extensions as well. The summer of 2025 has plenty of players who can sign an extension, including Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Artemi Panarin, and Kaprizov.
The Athletic’s Michael Russo writes that both Wild general manager Bill Guerin and owner Craig Leipold have relayed the message that an extension with Kaprizov won’t be a problem to get done. (from Free agency, Kirill Kaprizov’s future and how new CBA rules could help the Wild keep their superstar. The Athletic, June 29, 2025).
Kaprizov also stated, “I love everything here. It should be all good.”.
Guerin was asked about whether or not the deal will be done on July 1 and said, “I’ve talked to his agent a number of times. They know the plan. They know what we’re trying to do, and we have the same goal, and that’s to win. Sometimes it just doesn’t happen in one day.”.
Senators & Giroux Stuck at Stalemate
With some veteran players signing low-base salary deals with bonuses, many thought that getting a deal between Giroux and the Senators would get easier, as they have baselines to follow like the Jamie Benn or Jonathan Toews contracts, but things are still being held up, and the future for Giroux is still to be determined.
Friedman said on 32 Thoughts that the hold-up is about bonuses, and the biggest question is whether or not Giroux would consider anywhere else. After acquiring Jordan Spence, the Senators have $10.2 million in cap space with four spots to fill on the roster.
Giroux is reportedly looking for a one-year deal with a bonus structure, which could help the Senators if done right. As the cap continues to rise, being able to punt the bonuses to next season could help them with this season; however, general manager Steve Staios did say that he wanted to leave some wiggle room with the salary cap for this season.
Giroux is from the area, has a young family, and has a great role with the Senators, who could definitely still use his services. Until recently, it felt like an easy deal to get done, being a one-year deal close to $4 million, but things are much more complicated than they seem, and nobody is certain about what the future holds for Giroux and the Senators.
