Report: Maple Leafs And Golden Knights Discussing Mitch Marner Sign And Trade, Could Include Nic Roy

The Mitch Marner sweepstakes could end before free agency begins.

According to several reports, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights are discussing a potential sign-and-trade, seeing Toronto send Marner's rights to Vegas in exchange for a roster player.

"Something to keep an eye: on-and-off this week, Toronto and Vegas have been discussing the possibility of a sign-and-trade involving Mitch Marner," Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday afternoon.

"Likelihood of it happening: hard to say. But talks have occurred and continue to do so."

Friedman added that he believes forward Nic Roy, who's entering the fourth year of a five-year, $15 million contract, which carries a $3 million annual average value, signed with the Golden Knights in 2022.

"Like I said the other day, we're whatever we are — Tuesday's free agency. We'll continue to work away at things, but nothing to report on that," Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving said following the NHL Draft.

Are the chances of Marner's rights getting dealt higher, though, given that we're inching towards free agency in a couple of days?

"I don't know if the chances are greater today than they were yesterday, or they're going to be better or worse tomorrow," Treliving added. "I understand the interest, but certainly we've got nothing to report, and I don't want to get involved in speculation and how that runs. We'll see how things unfold."

Ideally, Toronto would like to get something back if it can find a team willing to execute a sign-and-trade for Marner. "I think you'd always like to get something, right?" said Treliving. "That's not always the case, so that's probably as far as I want to get into it, but we'll see how things go."

If it is indeed Roy coming to Toronto, he scored 15 goals and 16 assists in 71 games with the Golden Knights last season. The 6-foot-4 forward also tallied two goals and two assists in 11 playoff games.

Treliving spoke ahead of the draft on Thursday, revealing that Marner would likely be testing free agency on July 1. Marner had a career year with Toronto, scoring 27 goals and 75 assists in 81 games, plus two goals and 11 assists in 13 playoff games.

"I'd probably describe it, unless there's a significant change here," Treliving said, "I would anticipate that he's going to hit the market, and we'll see where things go."

John Tavares signed a four-year, $17.52 million contract with an annual average value of $4.38 million on Friday afternoon and was asked about Marner, a teammate of Tavares since he joined the organization in 2018.

"I think the world of Mitchie, first and foremost, as a person. It's a great friendship that's developed. We've also had a great chemistry from the times that we played together throughout our time here playing. If he does end up leaving, it's a very difficult player and person to replace, and what he brings to the team on and off the ice," said Tavares on Friday.

"So it's obviously going to be up to Tre and the club to find their way and how they go about that. It's obviously unique in that, it's difficult when you possibly could lose a player like Mitchie and what he brings, but you've got to move forward if that's what happens. What available is to the club, is dollars that wouldn't have been allocated there if Mitchy does stay."