Mitch Marner. John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Elliotte Friedman strongly hints at Mitch Marner's next team: 'I'm going to stick with that until I'm proven wrong'

Originally posted on Blade of Steel | By Tom Banks | Last updated Jun 28, 2025 11:52 AM ET

Mitch Marner appears headed to Vegas, and now Elliotte Friedman has made a strong stance on that fact, making it seem all but a certainty ahead of free agency.

Free agency begins soon, and given the moves we've seen already this offseason, the landscape of the entire league could be set to change.

One player who has a lot to do with that change is star forward Mitch Marner, who is the biggest name on the free-agent market this summer, and for the past few weeks, speculation has been swirling around his next team.

If he does indeed depart Toronto as expected, Marner will be looking to land with a Stanley Cup contender that can pay him a big deal, and unsurprisingly, that has led to the expectation that the Vegas Golden Knights are the favorite.

That thought has been backed up by NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, who has all but confirmed that we will see Marner alongside Jack Eichel in Vegas for the 2025-26 campaign and beyond.

It may not be straight forward, as the Golden Knights will likely have to move out some salary to fit in Marner. But with what he brings to the table, it's safe to say that he'd be worth it for the Knights, who have failed to reach the Western Conference Finals in their two years since winning their first Stanley Cup.

Other organizations are still interested in Marner, but right now, Vegas appears to be the team to beat.

This article first appeared on Blade of Steel and was syndicated with permission.

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