Key Development Opens the Door for Maple Leafs to Finalize Mitch Marner Trade to Vegas
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
A new development in the potential trade involving Mitch Marner and Vegas reveals a lot of it hinges on the health status of defenseman Alex Pietrangelo.
With the news that Mitch Marner was in the works to be traded to the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday, fans were stunned about the revelation and it looked like the Marner saga was officially closed, however there was only smoke and nothing was concrete as of yet.
It doesn't mean they aren't working towards a trade however, and though Toronto would like to get as much back as possible when dealing Marner, they have a backup plan in case that goes sour.
Vegas can use Alex Pietrangelo's salary relief to sign Marner
A lot of it hinges on Vegas' salary cap issues, and whether or not they are able to vacate enough cap room in order to sign Marner.
According to NHL Insider David Pagnotta, the way the Golden Knights are looking to do so is by wiping Alex Pietrangelo's salary off the books after a slew of injuries:
I'm hearing Vegas defenceman Alex Pietrangelo is dealing with serious injuries and is going to require multiple major surgeries this summer, which will result in missing the entire 2025-26 season, at least.
It's a very brazen move from Vegas as they try to navigate their cap situation whilst also trying to keep everything above board when it comes to a potential Marner deal.
Vegas needs to be careful on their quest to acquire Mitch Marner
If Pietrangelo is indeed going to be out for the entire 2025-26 season, that means they are able to go above the cap and give them more than enough space to sign a prime free agent like Marner.
While an unfortunate situation, the injury bug caught up to him and the wear and tear has led him to seek out multiple surgeries but it seems Vegas gets to potentially reap something out of his misery.
Pietrangelo, 35, has 637 points in 1,087 games (148G, 489A) but injuries have slowed him down tremendously over the past five seasons, and this latest one was the straw that broke his back.
But if they do end up fielding a deal that the Maple Leafs deem weak, and then Marner signs anyways; that's going to be a terrible look for the Sin City squad.
If Vegas wants to use his injury relief as a way to sign Marner, they best get on that considering the NHL's CBA changes going into effect in 2026, and they best do everything in their power to avoid the wrath of Gary Bettman.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 29 | 657 ANSWERS Key Development Opens the Door for Maple Leafs to Finalize Mitch Marner Trade to Vegas Will Alex Pietrangelo's injury help Vegas acquire Mitch Marner? | ||
| Yes | 562 | 85.5 % |
| No | 95 | 14.5 % |
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