NHL free agency doesn’t open until July 1.
That probably doesn’t stop teams from making early inroads on players. That’s the only way contracts can be signed with new teams so soon after the free agency period opens.
The NBA deals with the same sorts of potential tampering issues.
In the NHL right now, the Toronto Maple Leafs are reportedly unhappy with how the Las Vegas Golden Knights have gone after Mitch Marner.
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman laid out all the details in his latest podcast release on Sunday morning.
Here’s what Friedman had to say, in full:
“There is another reason that I think people are wondering about this. People aren’t going to be happy about this, certain people, but I’m gonna say it anyway.
I’m not passing any judgment here on guilty or not guilty of tampering. I have no idea. I’m just a guy holding a microphone in the bowels of the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. But, but, there’s been some talk that if Marner goes to Vegas, the Maple Leafs will go after Vegas for tampering.
Again, I have no proof that Vegas is guilty of anything. But it’s a time around the league where teams are extremely sensitive about it. And, as a couple of GMs told me on Saturday, they think the NHL is itching to try and make an example out of someone.
Once again, I’m going to stress, I don’t have any proof that Vegas is guilty of anything. But, if they make a deal with Toronto and send a good player or two to Toronto, I’m betting any chance the Maple Leafs file for tampering goes away.
So all those reasons, getting to Marner faster, clearing cap space, Toronto gets good players, and eliminating any possibility of any tampering investigation, which is being whispered everywhere around the league. All of that goes away if this deal gets done. We’ll see. No promises. No assurances. That’s what I think is going on.”
MORE: The reason Mitch Marner doesn’t want to return to the Maple Leafs
Reports came out initially on Saturday that Marner may go to Vegas in a sign-and-trade from Toronto.
That’s what Friedman is alluding to, that maybe those talks really began as an effort by the Golden Knights to try and appease the Maple Leafs.
If that’s true, it’s quite the twist in the story.
Free agency is less than two days away now, so this could heat up in a hurry.
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