The Toronto Maple Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights will forever be linked in the aftermath of Mitch Marner’s free agent departure.
A sign-and-trade that sent Marner to Sin City for eight years at $12 million per season brought depth center Nicolas Roy back in return, marking the biggest move of the 2025 NHL offseason.
While it’s hard to imagine the two connecting on another deal of that magnitude, Cole Shelton of Heavy Sports has proposed that they get back together for a 1-for-1 swap of defenseman Brandon Carlo and forward William Karlsson.
Maple Leafs acquire: William Karlsson
Golden Knights acquire: Brandon Carlo
“The proposed 1-for-1 deal makes a lot of sense for both sides. Toronto gets a top-six forward while trading from an area of strength, while the Golden Knights need help on defense after Alex Pietrangelo’s career could be over due to an injury,” Shelton wrote.
“Toronto would acquire Karlsson, who’s entering the seventh year of his eight-year, $47.2 million deal. Karlsson could play center, but his better fit would be on the Maple Leafs’ second-line left winger, which is a major need. Toronto hasn’t added a top-six forward to replace Marner, and Karlsson would do just that,” Shelton added.
All of those reasons lead to this potential deal making quite a bit of sense for both teams. Fans should keep an eye on the Maple Leafs and Golden Knights as trade partners the rest of the summer and into the 2025-26 season.
Toronto remains in need of a top-six forward
The offseason additions of Nicolas Roy, Matias Maccelli, and Dakota Joshua up front are a nice start for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but it remains clear that their top six is missing a piece.
Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Matthew Knies, and John Tavares undoubtedly slot in as the top four forwards on the roster, leaving two spots to be filled around them. Maccelli is a candidate for one of those openings, with guys like Bobby McMann, Nick Robertson, or even Max Domi next on deck for the final position.
While that would still be a very respectable formation, it’s a much weaker group without Mitch Marner, so acquiring a legitimate top-six forward should remain general manager Brad Treliving’s number one priority. Two names that fit the mold and are rumored to be available are Pittsburgh Penguins wingers Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell.
A move to bolster the lineup feels inevitable, though it may not happen before the season, and perhaps not even until the trade deadline, so patience will be required.
