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Mitch Marner Had One Team Ready if Golden Knights Talks Fell Apart

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Matt Levine | Last updated Jul 2, 2025 11:50 AM ET

The Vegas Golden Knights landed the big fish of the NHL offseason, signing star forward Mitch Marner away from the Toronto Maple Leafs. Marner was always expected to leave Toronto, and the Golden Knights were a heavy favorite to land his services.

The two teams made a deal work with a sign-and-trade, giving Marner a massive new contract. The star will now look to help Vegas go after another Stanley Cup title, and he will do so in a much less intense environment.

While Vegas has pressure to win, it's nothing like what he dealt with in Toronto for his entire career. But before he landed with the Golden Knights, there was another team pushing to make a run at him.

According to NHL insider David Pagnotta, if the talks between Marner and the Golden Knights fell apart, the star was ready to sign elsewhere. Pagnotta mentioned the Los Angeles Kings as a team that was ready to go after the services of Marner.

David Pagnotta: If things didn't work out in Vegas, I know Marner was interested in exploring an opportunity with the LA Kings - JD Bunkis Podcast
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) July 1, 2025

The Kings were another team heavily linked to Marner this offseason. Los Angeles has been looking to make a splash this summer, and Marner could have been perfect for them.

But it wasn't meant to be, and now the Kings will have to face Marner for years to come. This is certainly a blow to the plans of the Kings this summer, but it always felt as if Marner would be looking at Vegas once he hit the market.

The pairing just made so much sense, and now they will be forever linked together moving forward.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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