The Toronto Maple Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights are discussing the possibility of a sign-and-trade involving forward Mitch Marner, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports.

Marner is widely expected to sign with a new team in free agency, with the Golden Knights widely considered as one of the leading candidates to land the 28-year-old winger. The discussions between both teams remain ongoing ahead of the start of free agency on July 1.

Nicolas Roy will be heading to the Maple Leafs, if the teams complete the trade, Friedman reports.

Friedman provided some extensive reporting on Sunday’s edition of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, where he made it clear that he doesn’t have any proof that the Golden Knights would be involved in a potential tampering case, but the Leafs could potentially file a case against Marner’s camp, which would likely involve agent, Darren Ferris.

“I’m not passing any judgment here on guilty or not guilty of tampering. I have no idea! I’m just a guy holding a microphone in the bowels of the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, but, but: there has been some talk that if Marner goes to Vegas, the Maple Leafs will go after Marner for tampering. Again, I have no proof that Vegas is guilty of anything but there’s a time around the league where teams are extremely sensitive about it and as a couple of GMs told me on Saturday, they think the NHL is itching to make an example out of someone. Again, I am going to stress that I don’t have any proof that Vegas is guilty of anything. But if they make a deal with Toronto and send a good player to Toronto, I’m betting any chance the Maple Leafs file for tampering goes away.”

Roy posted 15 goals and 31 points in 71 games with the Golden Knights during the 2024-25 campaign. The 28-year-old helped the Golden Knights win the Stanley Cup during the 2022-23 season and could slot in as the Leafs’ third-line centre as a right-shot with some physicality. There are two years left on Roy’s existing contract with a $3 million cap hit, and it appears that the Maple Leafs’ roster is coming into focus for the 2025-26 season after John Tavares re-signed on a four-year deal worth $4.38 million annually.

It was previously reported that the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings were among the primary suitors for Marner in free agency.

This would represent an attempt for the Maple Leafs to re-coup some value for Marner, as it would be poor asset management to allow the star winger to leave for nothing in return.

Marner is coming off a career-best campaign where he recorded 102 points, which ultimately ended in disappointment after a series of poor performances in the second round against the Florida Panthers.

Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving declined to substantively comment on the report during his media availability Saturday.

“I’m not going to comment. That was a good try though. Tuesday is free agency. We’ll continue to work away at things but nothing to report on that.”

Treliving also stated that it would be the team’s preference to get a player in return, but declined further comment.