Since the conclusion of the Vegas Golden Knights' 2024-25 season, they've been linked and named as possible favorites to land top free agent Mitch Marner. A recent report shared by The Athletic's James Mirtle states that the Golden Knights nearly completed a three-team trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Carolina Hurricanes,

Vegas' inability to seal the mega-deal is of no consequence now. Well, except for the fact that the team did not win the Stanley Cup this year. The Golden Knights can now pursue Marner in free agency this summer, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him land in Sin City.

How might the Stanley Cup Playoffs have been different if Mitch Marner was a Vegas Golden Knights and Mikko Rantanen played for Toronto Maple Leafs? That scenario was almost a reality, thanks to a blockbuster trade that never came to fruition.