The Vegas Golden Knights have signed winger Mitch Marner to an eight-year, $96 million deal as part of a sign-and-trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The 28-year-old winger and 4th overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft is coming off his best season with the Maple Leafs. His signing is the most high-profile of this free agent class and the biggest domino to fall, which impacts the plans of several teams and undoubtedly makes the Golden Knights one of the biggest contenders in the Western Conference.
How Marner Did in 2024-25
Marner turned in the best regular-season performance of his nine-year NHL career. He suited up for 81 games, the most since he played in all 82 back in 2018-19. He scored 27 goals (third-most of his career) while hitting new marks in assists (75) and points (102).
Related: 2025 NHL Free Agency Tracker
His efforts helped him finish fifth in the NHL in scoring, just behind David Pastrnak and Leon Draisaitl, who both finished with 106 points. Marner became a dominant playmaker, trailing only Nikita Kucherov and Nathan MacKinnon (84 assists) in helpers this season.
Among criticisms of Toronto’s “Core Four,” Marner had a decent playoff. He finished with 11 assists and 13 points in 13 games, though the Maple Leafs’ failure to make it out of the second round brought heavy criticism to him and teammate Auston Matthews, setting the table for the latter’s departure.
What Marner Brings to the Table
It isn’t often that a 28-year-old winger fresh off a 100-point season enters the free agent market. Marner is an elite playmaking winger capable of threatening the 30-goal plateau while averaging nearly an assist per game.
He drives the offense, using his vision and puck-handling ability to create space and opportunities for his teammates. He is a core component of any first-team power play and could probably quarterback it if necessary.
Offensively, Marner makes his linemates better. He is the kind of player you can depend on to drive things on the offensive end of the ice and play 21-23 minutes of responsible hockey. He isn’t going to win a Selke Trophy as the best defensive forward, but his defensive contributions are underrated.
How Marner Fits With the Golden Knights
In Toronto, Marner was one of the big three with Matthews and William Nylander. In his new situation, he is the man. He will be expected to continue producing at a 90-100-point level while also drawing the sole focus of his opponents. He will also take the full brunt of failures the team has. In Vegas, Marner joins an excellent supporting cast, one that has already won a Stanley Cup. He won’t be counted on to save the fate of a historic franchise, which could help him truly blossom in the postseason.
He is an excellent player, a top-notch producer, and an underrated two-way forward. He should jump right into a top-line role playing 21-22 minutes nightly, including first-team power-play minutes. Anything less than 25 goals and 90 points would be considered a drop-off for both him and his new team.
