Overview
- The Maple Leafs sent pending UFA Mitch Marner to Vegas and secured an eight-year, $96-million contract for the 28-year-old winger before free agency opened.
- Toronto received centre Nicolas Roy in return, creating roughly $9 million in immediate cap relief under the new deal structure.
- By using a sign-and-trade, Marner’s salary is spread over eight years instead of seven, lowering his annual cap hit from what it would have been on the open market.
- Toronto further reshaped its lineup by acquiring winger Matias Maccelli for a conditional 2027 third-round pick and signing forward Matthew Knies to a six-year, $46.5 million extension.
- The Edmonton Oilers locked up their blue line and added depth by extending defenseman Evan Bouchard on a four-year, $42 million deal and re-signing winger Kasperi Kapanen to a one-year, $1.3 million contract.