Monday evening, perhaps the biggest move of NHL free agency occurred.
The Toronto Maple Leafs sent star right winger Mitch Marner in a sign-and-trade deal to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Nick Roy.
Up until now, Marner had spent his entire professional career in Toronto. Now as a Golden Knight, Marner seems to be very happy with his new team. In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), the Golden Knights posted Marner’s thoughts on being able to play and live in Las Vegas.
“Everything here is a good fit for my wife and I and our new son. The winning aspect of this team really helps everything as well. We have great players here. Luckily it all worked out because this is where we wanted to be,” Marner said.
Marner also feels that T-Mobile Arena, where the Golden Knights play, is one of the best places to play in hockey.
“T-Mobile Arena is all-time. It’s crazy. The vibe you get as soon as you walk into the arena, to the warmups to the start of the game. Just seeing the videos my parents have shown me from being at games and the love the fans give to the team is pretty special,” Marner said.
There are few situations better in the NHL right now than Vegas’. The Golden Knights finished at the top of the Pacific division last season at 50-22-10, which was good for second overall in the West. While they did lose in the second round to the Edmonton Oilers, the Golden Knights have been lighting up the league since it joined as an expansion team in the 2017-2018 season.
Vegas has already been to two Stanley Cup Finals in their short history, one of which they won in 2023 against the Florida Panthers. Marner will now pair with center Jack Eichel and go for the Golden Knights second title.
