The Vegas Golden Knights acquiring Mitch Marner from the Toronto Maple Leafs didn't exactly shock everyone. The rumblings about the winger plotting a move for a whole year with Vegas set the internet ablaze. Suddenly, the divorce grew more scandalous and spicier, leaving broken hearts and thrown words.
But that's all over with Marner being traded for Nicolas Roy and signing an eight-year, $12 million AAV deal. That deal comes with a full no-move clause, similar to what Mark Stone and Jack Eichel have with their current deals.
With this deal had me thinking about a lot of things. First, how far can this team go with their newest megastar? Seeing Marner, Eichel, and potentially Pavel Dorofeyev on the same line would feed families for generations.
But that's not the biggest question. How did we get here? How did this awe-inspiring journey of a man disgruntled with Toronto media decide that Las Vegas is the perfect city for him?
Well, this will sound funny. But this trade was eight years in the making. That's right. We're going back to the inaugural year when the NHL Expansion Draft was happening.
Let's go down the proverbial rabbit hole and see how we got to this point. With the trade becoming officially official, let's see where it all began. I'll give you a hint, though. It all started with a Finnish forward from the Minnesota Wild.
1.) Erik Haula gets selected by the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft
When the Vegas Golden Knights selected Erik Haula in the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, it was a new opportunity for the former Minnesota Wild star.
"Nothing has happened [in Vegas] before. Everything is new. It's a great opportunity for everybody, so you just start building from there... I'm really excited for this opportunity in my career."Erik Haula when joining Vegas
To prevent the Golden Knights from selecting Matt Dumba, Vegas received prospect Alex Tuch and a conditional third-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. That was the going price of selecting Original Misfit Haula.
In his two seasons with the Golden Knights, the Finnish scored 31 goals and 31 assists. That was heavily weighted, though. He scored 29 goals and 26 assists in 2017-18, leading Vegas to the Stanley Cup Final.
2.) Erik Haula gets traded to the Carolina Hurricanes for Nicolas Roy
After Haula spent two seasons in Las Vegas, he was uprooted to the Carolina Hurricanes. On June 26, 2019, the Finnish forward was traded for Nicolas Roy and a conditional fifth-round draft pick.
Roy was actually productive as a fourth-line center with the Golden Knights. He scored 68 goals and 98 assists during his six-year tenure. That included an incredible 2023-24 campaign, where he scored 13 goals and 28 assists.
With one goal and six assists on the power play that season, Roy put himself on the map. That would set him up to be part of the biggest move in franchise history, where he was dealt in a one-for-one trade.
3.) Nicolas Roy gets traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Mitch Marner
In a deal that set up eight years worth of trade pieces, Kelly McCrimmon pulled off a massive move on June 30. He traded Nicolas Roy to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Mitch Marner, who was extended for eight years worth $12 million AAV.
In case you were living under a rock with a GEICO caveman, Marner is a megastar. The former "Core Four" member has 221 goals and 520 assists during his nine-year career. That includes a 102-point campaign last season, where he scored 27 goals and 75 assists.
Fans can expect him to join Jack Eichel on the top line and create some scoring magic. But who could join the duo on the other wing? Could fans see Mark Stone return to the unit? Has Ivan Barbashev kept his spot in the lineup? Maybe Pavel Dorofeyev deserves a bump for his incredble play.
It's funny thinking how Erik Haula turned into Mitch Marner. The endless trades and dealing ended up fetching one of the biggest stars today. Maybe getting a Finnish forward will end up nabbing a second Stanley Cup in franchise history. Now that's coming a long way.