The Toronto Maple Leafs and Mitch Marner had a great run.
The No. 4 overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft spent his first nine seasons with the Maple Leafs. He averaged more than a point per game, putting up 741 (221 G, 520 A) in 657 games.
That included a career-high 102 points (27/75) in 2024-25.
But when the season was over, Marner was out of his contract, and now he'll spend 2025-26 as the first season of likely many in his new home, with the Las Vegas Golden Knights.
The Maple Leafs and Golden Knights both open their seasons Wednesday night. Marner will don a different uniform for the first time, trying to bring glory back to Vegas while Toronto tries to reboot without its top two-way forward.
MORE: Gavin McKenna is off to a fast start at Penn State
Why did the Maple Leafs trade Mitch Marner to the Golden Knights?
The Toronto Maple Leafs felt they had no choice.
Marner had made it clear he wanted to go elsewhere, and since his contract was up, he could sign as a free agent with a new team on July 1.
The Maple Leafs didn't want to let Marner go for nothing, though, so they found a way to pull off a sign-and-trade with Vegas just days before free agency opened.
Toronto received forward Nicolas Roy back for Marner.
The deal had a benefit to Vegas, too. If they had signed Marner in free agency, they would've had to max out at a seven-year deal because of league rules. But since Toronto was initially doing the contract signing, it could be an eight-year deal.
MORE: Penguins have the most unlikely NHL goalscoring leader
So the Golden Knights have Marner for eight years at $12 million per year.
The Maple Leafs have the 28-year old center Roy.
And both teams will start this new season hoping to make the most of the big change.
More NHL News:
- Penguins trio making history never done in NHL, NBA, NFL or MLB
- Alex Pietrangelo gets heartbreaking injury news
- Oilers make major decision with Isaac 'Ike' Howard
- Anze Kopitar's retirement looms over new NHL season
- Maple Leafs make major roster decision with top prospect