By Abhishek Dilta
Mitch Marner, the top unrestricted free agent of 2025, was traded from the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday.He reportedly signed an eight-year, $96 million extension with the Golden Knights a day before NHL free agency began.On NHL on TNT, insider Elliotte Friedman discussed Marner鈥檚 move, noting it鈥檚 a strong match for both Marner and Vegas.”I love the fit. It’s a great fit for Vegas and Marner. First of all, we just talked about all these things with the Florida Panthers. You can say a lot of the same things about the Vegas Golden Knights. It’s a great organization to play for,” Friedman said.Friedman suggested that after Toronto鈥檚 disappointing playoff exit, where Marner faced significant criticism, the trade offers him a fresh start in a less pressured environment.”I’m not surprised. The way the playoffs ended this year, I thought the worst-case scenario for Toronto was if the playoffs ended poorly and Marner took a lot of heat, which was exactly what happened. It was time for him. Time to go somewhere quieter. A fresh start,” the insider added.Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs received center Nicolas Roy from the Vegas Golden Knights in a sign-and-trade deal for Mitch Marner. Roy notched 31 points in 71 games last season. He is under contract for two more years with $3 million annual cap hit.Mitch Marner was drafted No. 4 overall by the Maple Leafs in the 2015 NHL draft. He racked up 741 points through 221 goals and 520 assists during his nine-year tenure with the Leafs.Maple Leafs sign veteran John Tavares to four-year extensionJohn Tavares wanted to remain with the Maple Leafs and was willing to accept a lower salary to make it happen.On Friday, the 34-year-old signed a four-year, $17.52 million extension with the club, opting to forgo unrestricted free agency on July 1.”Even though I left some money out there, I’ve done pretty well and am still doing pretty well and get to play for an amazing club in a great city, a place where I’m from and a team that has a real opportunity to win,” Tavares said after contract extension.John Tavares is coming off a 74-point (38 goals, 36 assists) season with the Maple Leafs. The veteran has been with the club for the last seven seasons.