There have been numerous rumors and trade proposals to move Toronto Maple Leafs superstar winger Mitch Marner away from Canada.
In a new PuckGM proposed trade filed by a PuckPedia user, the Maple Leafs find a trade partner in Vegas, with the Golden Knights assisting Toronto in unloading the forward as he approaches the last season of his seven-year contract. (The figures below reflect the overall length and value of the contracts.)
Maple Leafs Get:
William Karlsson (eight years, $47.2 million)
Ivan Barbashev (five years, $25 million)
Zach Whitecloud (six years, $16.5 million)
Nicolas Hage (three years, $6.9 million)
Golden Knights Get:
Nicholas Robertson
Timothy Liljegren
Mitchell Marner
Instead of include the frequently referenced Shea Theodore, this user focused his request on Leafs’ Marner and Golden Knights’ William Karlsson.
In addition to Karlsson, who signed a lucrative eight-year, $47.2 million contract with Vegas in 2019, the Golden Knights would include Ivan Barbashev in the deal. Barbashev signed a five-year contract with Vegas worth $25 million in June 2023.
The Maple Leafs would compensate for the additions of Barbashev, Whitecloud, and Hage by sending Vegas free-agent signee Timothy Liljegren and unsigned restricted free agent Nicholas Robertson, both of whom appeared (and continue to be) on the outside looking in before the free agent market opened on July 1.
Liljegren ultimately signed a two-year, $6 million contract on June 30. He could yet be traded, according to recent reports (details below). Robertson, on the other hand, received a qualifying offer but is unlikely to accept a contract extension with Toronto, as general manager Brad Treliving stated on July 1.
If completed, the Maple Leafs would sign four contracts worth a total of $95.5 million, combining the value of the accords at the time of signing.
Maple Leafs Could Still Trade Timothy Liljegren
Toronto signed Liljegreen to a contract extension on June 30. That doesn’t mean the Leafs won’t trade him this offseason if the opportunity arises.
TSN’s Chris Johnston feels a trade is still possible, even if the player recently signed a new contract, as he stated on the July 1 episode of The Chris Johnston Show.
“They still plan to sign several depth players in free agency. “We’ll see if Timothy Liljegren can still be traded,” Johnston stated. “I know he was signed to a two-year extension but I don’t think you can entirely rule out a trade in his circumstance yet.”
Before signing his contract extension, Liljegren was thought to be on the move. Throughout the NHL draft, there were reports of prospective trades, but none came to fruition.
Johnston, however, added more wood to the potential Liljegren fire on July 4. He discussed once again the possibility of a trade getting eventually completed.
“They would consider trading Kampf, Jarnkrok, or Timothy Liljegren in the right deal. I should be clear, it is not to imply they are trying to get rid of them at any cost, but I believe they are pretty close because of the Leafs’ salary cap,” Johnston remarked on July 4, following Liljegren’s extension announcement.
For what it’s worth, Jonas Siegel of The Athletic reported on June 30 that Liljegren’s new deal lacks trade protection, fueling rumors of a possible trade.
“According to the source, Liljegren’s new deal includes zero no-trade protection. “The Brad Treliving front office isn’t exactly enamored with Liljegren, not yet anyway,” Siegel wrote.
Nick Robertson’s Future in Toronto Up In the Air
On July 1, the Leafs extended Robertson a qualifying offer, converting him to a restricted free agent. He signed a three-year, $2.39 million entry-level contract on that date.
Robertson has made 87 regular-season appearances since the Leafs selected him with the 53rd pick in the 2019 NHL draft. He has 17 goals and 17 assists, for a total of 34 points.
On June 30, NHL insider Chris Johnston said that Robertson had requested a trade.
“Sources say that RFA Nick Robertson has no plans to re-sign with the Leafs this summer and has informed the team that he would like to be traded,” according to Johnston.
Shortly after that story, Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving stated on July 1 that Robertson has had some concerns. However, he clarified that, at the moment, Toronto is not considering trading him.
“I have certainly known that there was some frustration with Nick, but we look at Nick as an excellent player,” according to Treliving. “There is an excellent chance for Nick here. We need him to be an effective player for us. I’m not going to engage in any speculation or public back and forth. We will simply leave it at that and keep moving forward.”
Robertson had 14 goals and 13 assists in 56 regular-season games in 2023-24. In six postseason games, however, the winger did not score a single point.
