The Pacific Division just got tougher.
The Vegas Golden Knights pulled off a blockbuster sign-and-trade to land former Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner, inking him to an eight-year, $96 million deal before completing the trade. Marner’s $12 million cap hit is locked in through 2033, and he now joins the Pacific Division arms race.
Marner, 28, put up a career-high 102 points last season and has 741 points over 657 career games. But playoff shortcomings in Toronto defined much of his tenure, with just two series wins in nine years.
At his introductory press conference in Las Vegas, Marner said, “You want to hoist a Stanley Cup. This team has shown they can do it,” pointing to Vegas’s 2023 Cup win as motivation. He cited lifestyle and family stability as factors behind his decision.
Oilers fans know what this means: more high-octane matchups in the Pacific. Vegas now boasts a lethal one-two punch with Jack Eichel and Marner, while Edmonton counters with its own superstar core—though the stakes just rose dramatically.
Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon exploited the sign-and-trade mechanism to lock Marner in long-term—something other suitors couldn’t offer due to CBA rules.
Toronto, meanwhile, received forward Nicolas Roy in return and re-signed Matthew Knies to a six-year deal, signalling a shift away from its long-running “Core Four”.
For Edmonton, the message is clear: the path to the Stanley Cup is narrowing—and Vegas just made sure of it.
