NHL Analyst Puts Pressure on Maple Leafs Stars After Mitch Marner's Exit originally appeared on Athlon Sports. With Mitch Marner no longer part of the Toronto Maple Leafs, expectations will only grow for Leafs centerpieces Auston Matthews and William Nylander.

TORONTO -- Mitch Marner was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights by the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday. The 28-year-old forward, who could have become an unrestricted free agent, signed an eight-year, $96 million contract with Toronto prior to the trade. It has an average annual value of $12 million.

NHL free agency has arrived, and that means teams around the league will be looking to make upgrades to their rosters for the 2025-26 season. Many teams have already taken care of business before July 1 by re-signing key players to extensions.