TORONTO — This isn’t the first time the Toronto Maple Leafs have tried trading Mitch Marner’s contract, but it is certainly the club’s last and most desperate attempt to do so.
As the all-star winger sits poised to become the NHL’s most coveted unrestricted free agent on Tuesday, general manager Brad Treliving is working the phones in an attempt to salvage something for the soon-to-be-lost asset.
Marner’s most aggressive suitor, the Vegas Golden Knights, are entertaining the idea of a sign-and-trade scenario, presumably to hop the queue and offer the player an eight-year, maximum-term contract that would keep Marner’s cap hit lower than a seven-year deal would.
The Maple Leafs are reportedly interested in Knights players Nicolas Roy and/or Nicolas Hague in a potential return, according to multiple reports Saturday.
Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman tweeted he believes Roy will be bound for Toronto if the sign-and-trade is agreed upon:
“You’d always like to get something, right? That’s not always the case. That’s probably as far as I want to get into it, but we’ll see how things go,” said Treliving Saturday evening, working the draft from Toronto’s practice facility.
“I don’t know if the chances are greater today than they were yesterday, or they’re going to be better or worse tomorrow. I understand the interest, but certainly we’ve got nothing to report, and I don’t want to get involved in speculation.”
As Treliving met with reporters, his Apple Watch rang with calls.
Vegas needs to carve out cap space to accommodate a big fish like Marner.
Some of that could be accomplished, potentially, by moving Alex Pietrangelo to long-term injured reserve. The veteran’s health is in question.
But right-shot centre Roy, 28, and left-shot defencemen Hague, 26, are certainly trade candidates.
Both won a Stanley Cup with Vegas in 2023. Neither holds trade protection.
Hague is set to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights at the end of the month. He notched five goals and 12 points last season.
Penalty killer Roy posted a career-high 15 goals and added 14 assists last season. He carries a $3 million cap hit for the next two seasons.
In addition to retrieving an asset for Marner, Treliving must also decide which of his own RFAs (Matthew Knies, Nick Robertson, Pontus Holmberg, Dennis Hildeby) to qualify this weekend, as well as prepare to spend Toronto’s newfound cap space in free agency.
Depth players like Steven Lorentz, Max Pacioretty, Alex Steeves, Matt Murray, and Alex Nylander could all walk away Tuesday.
“We’ve got some internal business that we’re focused on as well,” Treliving said.
“We’ve got some of our own free agents that we continue to work at. But I think there’ll be players available that can certainly help out in different positions.”
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