Mitch Marner is almost certainly going to test free agency with the Vegas Golden Knights emerging as a potential landing spot. Marner could’ve been potentially traded to the Golden Knights last summer, but they rejected the Toronto Maple Leafs’ offer, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Friedman reported on Friday’s edition of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast that the Maple Leafs asked for Shea Theodore in a potential trade for the Golden Knights, and were rejected.

“As I heard they told people, ‘You wanna watch Shea Theodore? You can buy a ticket to watch him play for us.’ And they followed through on their word,” Friedman said.

Friedman previously reported that Marner refused to waive his no-movement clause, when presented with a potential trade to the Carolina Hurricanes, in a deal involving Mikko Rantanen. Rantanen was eventually traded to the Dallas Stars and promptly signed an eight-year, $96 million extension.

“This isn’t a deflection. I think Mitch is a tremendous player,” Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said Thursday, when asked about ongoing contract negotiations with Marner. “I think he’s a star. We’re in that process right now. I had a meeting with all of the players individually, we do our exit meetings. Mitch and I had a discussion. It’s emotional right now. My discussion with Mitch was ‘let’s all take a step back, let’s take a deep breath.’ I gotta decompress a little bit.”

Marner is widely considered the best available free agent on this summer’s market and it’s seemingly increasingly possible that he’ll test free agency, leaving the Maple Leafs with nothing in return, and fans could be left to wonder what could’ve been.

Theodore was in excellent form this season, posting seven goals and a career-best 57 points in 67 regular season games. The 29-year-old defenceman helped the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup in 2023.

The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta also reported during Thursday’s edition of Leafs Morning Take that Marner would’ve waived his no-movement clause to join the Golden Knights.

“Last summer, there were teams that inquired about Mitch Marner, and Vegas was one of them,” Pagnotta said. They obviously didn’t get there. I believe Vegas would’ve been a team he would’ve waived to, at that time. I fully believe Vegas would be a team he would be interesting in signing with this summer. How they pull it off, it would take a lot of juggling, but you can’t count out Vegas for making those big-time splashes.”

“I think Los Angeles is going to be a player for Mitch Marner. I think it that’s a spot he’d be interested in going to. I think he has a list of 7-8 teams he’d have interest in signing with, if they approached him.”

Marner would be an attractive option for the Golden Knights, who have been among the most aggressive spenders since joining the league in 2017. There’s still a month away until June 1, and while Leafs fans will rue missing out on a top-calibre defenceman, Marner could end up joining the Golden Knights after all, in what will be one of the key storylines of the sporting calendar.