The hockey world was left buzzing as Mitch Marner, once a cornerstone of the Toronto Maple Leafs, made his official debut with the Vegas Golden Knights following a headline-grabbing sign-and-trade deal. Marner’s move, which secured him a lucrative eight-year contract and a fresh start in Vegas, has sparked intense discussion—not just for its financial implications, but for the surprising silence from his former teammates.

Despite Marner’s impressive run in Toronto, highlighted by a career-best 102-point season, the lack of public farewells and well-wishes from Leafs players has raised eyebrows across the NHL community. Some have even noted that more Leafs acknowledged Joe Thornton’s Hall of Fame induction than Marner’s departure, fueling speculation about the locker room dynamics during his final days in Toronto.

As Marner settles into his new life in Vegas and embraces stability for his growing family, the questions linger: What really led to the quiet goodbye, and what does it say about his legacy with the Maple Leafs?

Ex-Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner being introduced in Vegas

Photo credit: News3LV

There was a noticeable lack of farewells on the part of Mitch Marner’s now-ex Toronto Maple Leafs teammates after his sign and trade deal to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Mitch Marner is officially an ex-member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, as he was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights for Nicolas Roy as part of a sign-and-trade deal.

His new $12 million AAV (average annual value) is a $1.9 million raise over what he earned in his previous contract with the Leafs.

He was recently introduced to the media in Vegas, and while he talked about how he enjoyed his time with the Maple Leafs despite not winning anything of substance, there was an apparent lack of farewells on the part of his now-ex teammates in Toronto.

More Leaf players posted about Joe Thornton making the Hall of Fame than they did about Marner leaving. Think a little

With his 8-year deal in Vegas, Marner now has the stability for himself and his growing family, which now includes a newborn child.

During the news presser to introduce Marner as a Golden Knight, Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon explained that the sign and trade route was the best way to go for Marner.

We wanted to do a sign and trade with Toronto so that we could get the eighth year on the contract. The only team that can give the player the eighth year is the team that he’s on. For us, the eighth year really helped us in terms of what the AAV might be for his contract. If it was a seven-year contract, to get to $96 million, you’ve got an AAV of $13.7 million. That really impacts our ability to take the player onto our team.

Marner reached a new career-best 102 points with the Leafs this year, but garnered criticism for having only a single assist in the final 4 postseason against against the Panthers in their series loss.