OverDrive - Johnston on Marner landing with the Golden Knights, the sign-and-trade deal and the next steps for Toronto

Episode Date: June 30, 2025

TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston joined OverDrive to discuss Mitch Marner landing with the Golden Knights, the contract extension with the team, the significant role with Vegas, the trade assets of the deal and Nicolas Roy heading into Toronto, Brad Marchand remaining with the Panthers, the Panthers making the trio of signings and more.

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The station that champions Canadian music. Loud, proud, and all yours. No passports required. Just press play. Tap into Made in Canada now on iHeartRadio.ca or the free iHeartRadio app. Here's Chris Johnston, our TSN Hockey Insider, joining us on the Maple Treader hotline. So what is, take us through the timeline here Chris.

Mitch signing an 8 year deal, 12 million per to go to Vegas. What do you know of what's coming back to Toronto and how long has this been in the works? I don't know exactly what the trade package is. I mean it literally is a sign and trade and what's been done at this point is the signed party had to sign an eight-year contract with the Leafs, you know, technically before 1159 p.m. tonight to do the trade and so the trade call has yet to happen. I do believe Nicholas Wah will be part of that deal which is obviously his name has been attached since the weekend and you know what this does is you know I don't know if there's more included in that I mean that's this is breaking in real time.

You know what this does is give Mitch Marner the chance to you know put this all behind them to get an eighth year, which is obviously of value. He gets the exact same contract that Mikko Rantman signed in Dallas after his trade there at the deadline. And, you know, for the Leafs, they're going to get something back. Nothing obviously of Mitch Marner quality, but, you know, something is better than nothing. Yeah, go ahead, Brian.

Go ahead, go ahead. CJ, just as far as Marner and his tenure here in Toronto, how do you think it'll be characterized? Hayes was bringing up the idea of him returning here, like just this is the end. What will you think the fan base and everybody in general will make of his time here in Toronto? Well, it's gonna be hot for a little while, I would think. I mean, the, you know, at this point, obviously this is a big move and this is someone who had the absolute right to free agency of course and he used it. But I think that it's going to leave certain, there will be some members of fan base I'm sure that

will remember this, will be thinking that this should never have happened, that type of thing. We've seen in the past, I would think that whenever Vegas plays its first game in Toronto with Mitch Marner wearing gold, that that's going to be quite an occasion, pretty unique site. I would expect a lot of visual in the in the building. But you know, over time these things tend to peter out a little bit. You know, I was covering the Leafs daily when Tavares went back to, at the time, with Nassau Coliseum for the first time after signing in Toronto.

And you remember people throwing snakes and freaking out in the parking lot. I mean, over the years he still gets booed there, but it's not quite as passionate. And there's probably a day where, you know, in retirement John Tavares will, you know, be able to do something with Islanders organization. I think over time, the same thing will happen here for Marner with the Leafs because, you know,

whatever you think of the ending, you know, he obviously delivered a lot of memorable moments or times was part of a very hopeful period for the Leafs. I know, you know, people will also remember the playoff disappointments that this team and Mitch was, you know, part part of those but you know a lot of good things happen here to Baltimore the fifth in the organization's Points list before leaving at age 28. So the the tampering stuff with Vegas. Where does this go from here? You know, I don't know I think that

It will probably subside too, but I you know, I don't know. I think that it will probably subside too, but I, you know, I can't say that definitively at this point. Well, I guess we'll just have to see when the dust settles. I mean, this was always a unique case. I mean, the Leafs and Golden Knights had talked trade on Marner more than once. They talked about it at the trade deadline as, you know, a potential three-way trade with Carolina that never came to pass. But obviously during the process of those conversations, it was known that the Vegas wanted Mitch at the least would consider the trade and that Mitch Marner would, would want to go to Vegas if it could ever happen.

And so, you know, it's not as night and day or clear to say, you know, that that's something, you know, as serious as tampering necessarily happened. I mean, when, when everybody at the table at least knew that, that, you know that that's something you know as serious as tampering necessarily happened i mean when when everybody at the table at least knew that that you know all the things i just listed were true as i said i don't have all the information and i'm not sure where we'll go from here but the fact that that it ends relatively amicably with you know getting the team to sign them to that

eight-year deal um you know getting some kind of package back here, which we'll soon find out what the details of that are. All those things I do think suggest to me that there's, well, there might be some feelings and emotions that involve for everyone here that I don't know that it's gonna rise to the level of anything else coming up those allegations. So we're chatting with Chris Johnson. it just broke that uh... mitch marner is

completed a sign and trade with the lease in vegas eight years twelve million priorities going from toronto to vegas we don't know what's coming back uh... there are indications coming in now that it sounds like march and in florida gonna figure this out cj uh... so if that well that happens let's presume that happens by marshall returns sam bennett return air neck black return to florida if you're brad tree living

what do you do now but what what is possible for him to do with what's the plan c yeah what what is what is the next plan because six months ago they probably wanted to keep mitch marner six minutes ago they were hoping to get that march and uh... what what is what does he do now to complete his dna change all of the cdvd on the free agent market in the trade market because you know

free agency there were we are still gonna have a show tomorrow there will be free agency but we can't work we're missing a headliner, right? I would say probably the next best option in free agency might be someone like Nikolai Eerler, very different type of player than Brad Marchand, but a proven top-six winger that has been in the league a long time and I do think holds some appeal for Toronto, but the problem of course is that he will have to appeal for other people too. Um, and you know, he's going to have options.

And so I, I certainly don't have enough to say whether, you know, what percentage chance the Leafs would have in him, but I would think that he'll at least be someone they're making a call to once, you know, he officially hits the market. And beyond that, I do know the Leafs front office has been gearing up for what could be a long summer that there might be, you know, take some time for them to get the roster to a level, um, you know, where they're comfortable with it. I know they're very excited about Mattias Maselli, who they traded for today. You know, not, uh, obviously a huge name necessarily at this point, but he, you know, he did have

a pretty big season a couple of years ago. Um, and he's still young in his career and has the ability I think to be a top six winger for this team. And so the truth is it might take some time. I don't know that we're going to get the answer tomorrow. But the Leafs have got a fair bit of business done here in recent days and they are still armed with cap space to improve their team even with Brad Marchand not available for them to bid on and obviously with Marner leaving town.

That's where I was going to go Chris. Does that more think that they would sit on this cap space and start to take a look at the trade market and even maybe even into the season where you've got some teams that they might covet a player or two but maybe that team is not ready to move away from that player until You know we'll call it us Thanksgiving type of thing where you know I think there's I think there's teams that think that they're in it right now But they'll change their mind probably 20 games into the sea they know they're not in it Jamie They just want to wait until us Thanksgiving so they prove to their owner that they just had to look at it

That's I mean Fair fair enough, but I I guess that my point is do you do you feel like tree has the flexibility? To wait to go into the season to maybe find that right player that right fit for his organization For sure he does I mean it really comes down to that obviously they have to be good enough to get to the playoffs And I think knowing what we know of the roster like it's not a crazy thought to think that they will be and they might not even know who the player is yet I mean that's that's the reality they don't necessarily have to have the exact answer to this question I realized it's not comfortable and it's probably a hard

thing to message publicly to a fan base because you're losing you know an absolute bona fide all-star superstar, and Mitch Marner and you don't necessarily have the shiny toy to unveil and say here's his replacement. But we're moving into a different era, I think, in the NHL. It's been a pretty crazy few days. I feel like I've been drick it from a fire hose. And we have the cap going up and I just think there's gonna be more player movement than we've had in some of the recent past. And I do believe that it's gonna continue.

Not saying it's happening tomorrow, obviously tomorrow's really a day dedicated to signings, but you get on the other side of the July 4th weekend, the US teams are gonna be looking for other ways to fill their needs and I do think there's a possibility Toronto's among them and and more shakes out so you know I do think that the Leafs is one of the benefits of having a GM like Brad Trilliving he's very experienced guy pretty calm you know at the controls and he's not going to force anything or make

a bad decision just because of the emotion and everything swirling around right now I think that he'll be patient patient. And the Leafs have seldom had cap space, as we all know, for a long, long time. They might actually be armed with cap space, which can give them the chance to do some things that maybe they couldn't consider in the past. Yeah, now with that, with trades means assets have to go, which is what can complicate things to an extent,

because to my knowledge, they've got East and Cal, and then there's a big gap in terms of like high-end prospects they don't have first-round picks for the next two years that's where it gets complicated for me trying to project where the Leafs are gonna go because you know the Florida guys like if they keep Bennett they kept that plot I thought felt like it was four weeks ago it was 40 minutes ago he resigned in Florida. And it sounds like Marchand is real close to a long-term deal in Florida as well. So if they keep the three of them and you know again like Marner's gone like they picked

up Michelli today from Utah. You don't have to do everything tomorrow we know that but if it's Marner out, Michelli in and there's not a ton of other big needle movers available via free agency like that's going to put pressure on Trela. He's got to do something like something's got to change within this team. If you have that mentality Brian where it's I have to do something and if you think there's pressure to do it tomorrow that's you just stupid. That's not what I'm saying. I'm not saying tomorrow. I'm saying by game one that's you just not what i'm saying i'm not saying i'm not i'm saying by by game one yes you gotta have a

gotta look different than the team that basically lost the florida minus mitch marner they would think isn't that wasn't that what he was saying that has to change well i'll pay that there's a lot of teams out there that would love to have that the players lease at the top of their after their roster. Right. Like from an offensive standpoint.

And I think that they don't necessarily have to go get another high end forward right now. I think it would be preferable, but if it's not there, it's not there. Signing a bad contract doesn't work for anyone. And so look, it's going to give us lots to talk about. I think this is going to be the most interesting leaf season in some so look it's it's going to give us a lot to talk about i think it's going to be the most interestingly season in sometime because it's true shakeup happening uh... and that you know what they're going to go after bottom six guys i'm

sure there'll be some signings but there there might still be a uh... a bigger hole in the scoring aspect of the team that they have to address over a longer period of time well the least just sent out an email they've signed steven lorenz three years at 1.35 million per. So Lorenz is coming back. It's the same team minus Marner right now. Yeah I get it. It's not going to be the exact same team. I know that. I get that things are going to change but you know Tavares is back. Good deal for

the team but you know he's he's back. Knives was always going to be back. Lorenz is back uh... here's my question. I'm curious to see what else they end up doing here the Leafs. Well they've got nothing but time to do it that that is the the luxury here but what is if if the word DNA was used and I know oh you hate it what about this team will be different as far as the DNA? If you're one player out and so far one as of right now he's just described it. It's the same team with Miko Michelli and Marner gone.

Yes, yes, you're right. But is that like I don't think that's a major overhaul. That's not what we're trying to say yeah, I know it close, but you still have the luxury of time here I still think they're like maybe I'm in the minority of it. I still think you you're adding a D I still think you're adding but who is that noodles? That's what I'm wondering like you with that blood Resign like everyone was point to act blood the obvious ones were while see if you get Bennett. Okay, he's gone See if you get act blood. He's got one more shaw's gotta be the guy he's gone but here's three now it's basically done it's a six-year deal for brown

marsh and forty three which while they're spreading the years out right cj to get to make the money work yeah i mean forty three is wild though that's that's a new one uh... you know you hear playing past this he will be retired down there in florida man literally yeah i'm probably still making money will be this it'll be a six million dollars skills coach i don't know if it's not six though that makes it four isn't it

six times so it is what's yes thirty two million total over six years right see that's what is being reported anyways five uh... yeah related to what we have is that they're still kind of around it you know working on that capped it but i think that that's a fair number of you look he could have got four years in eight million on the open market

he get the that same thirty two million total over six in florida uh... and he's gonna finish his career panther looks like a meaner talk about running it back I mean we think the Leafs are the same the Panthers are they're keeping everybody. They're getting the whole band together That's that's a hat trick is pure tweeted there for for Bill Zito It's incredible work man like he set it on the ice with duffy and noodles and everyone is like yeah

We're gonna try and everyone laughed at him, and he found a way to make it work. It's incredible work in in Florida Bob McKenzie coming out of left field here tweeting that to his knowledge it sounds as if it's Nick Roy straight up for Mitch Marner. That's the trade, a one for one. There's nothing else, no picks. Maybe there's more, we'll see, but that's what Bob is hearing. So why did they toss in Nick Waa, just to say? Yeah, I'm curious, CJ, what does that mean? Like, technically they got someone, but Nick Wah's a third-line player, fourth-line player? But he's an upgrade, I'm telling you, on what the Leafs have down there.

I like him. I don't know, I'm sure he gets a lot. Good four-checkers, good for about 15 goals a year I mean very useful and he signed through next season And I'll tell you like we haven't even got to tomorrow yet. There's gonna be some crazy deal signed tomorrow So getting players on Reasonable contracts is valuable any way you can do it. Obviously Vegas had to shed some some salary In moving everything around on their roster and also they could get this morning your deal they did get something up

police were the only team that could find a new date your deal so i think it's a combination of those factors in the fact the least value the player and uh... i know we do you don't like the dna change but i still think is going to be a dna change i mean well you add in what you know what it's the very very very big i bet the Leafs are targeting hard-nosed players.

Yeah, well that guy's a hard-nosed. He's six-four, and he plays hard. That's my point, is he's an upgrade on Yarncroak and guys like that, because you know how he plays. He's heavy, and he four-checks, and he hits, and he's got a little chip to him, and yeah, he can put the puck in the net. I mean, he averaged, he's had 15 goals twice 14 13 very

consistent that's third line fourth line but he's big and he's got some bite like I I think he's an upgrade on what you have in the bottom six right now if you're asking me okay well with Chris Johnston I mean there's been so much going on here you know the Tavares deal again that feels like an eternity ago but that was on Friday Nies last night now you got Marner to Vegas on an eight-year deal sounds like Eklad Marchand Bennett they're all back in Florida it I mean I'm curious what else like how many trades you expect to see that tomorrow CJ like of there's still a lot of UFAs and there's some good players and there's depth players

available but do you expect the league to switch to trade mode now because a lot of guys appear to be kind of staying where they're at honestly it might I mean normally I'd say no to that but but you know I just did a trade board to our sorry a free agent board today for the top seven names since I published that like three hours ago are off it now I mean we are literally at the point of it's like the Nikolai Yelars, Brock Besser sweet steaks kind of thing you know Vladislav Gavrikov I mean it's it's it's going to it it's a pretty barren free agent market because so many

players either you know signed in trade like Varner or staying where they're at and so maybe teams are already because they haven't even had a chance to bid on the free agents yet are gonna you to kick in the trade mode. Look, it's been a busy few days. I don't expect that to change, but it does look different than a normal year. Oh, man. So all hell is breaking loose. Yeah, I guess you're right, Noodle.

Maybe you call them. Maybe you call them. Yeah, get lucky. Blind squirrel. That's a nut. I call it 10 years in a row. What's the biggest surprise for you, CJ, of of what we've seen the last three or four days is there anything that sticks out to you

that maybe you weren't anticipating and didn't think for a week he called three players you know i thought that but you know that quality that that that you know what and get the product three-age market would would pull them away. I don't think any of us are that surprised by Marner with Vegas, it sort of took some twists and turns

and had a little dash of drama added in over the weekend. But it kind of ended up, I think roughly, where I would have thought with him. But it's been a pretty compelling time on the league. Everyone's still trying to win. There's just not enough teams trying to be bad and that's that's kind of shaken things up and made it a little you know More unusual season for the offseason activity big time. Yeah. Wow. All right. Well We will see where this takes us. We've got less than 24 hours until free agency opens

But I don't know how many players are gonna be out there now but if you are like if you're best sir in your ealers like you said earlier cj they must be thinking man come to papa but you know you might want my piece who wants a piece of nick ealers for ten million a year yeah that's not i don't know i mean it is cj is there a team out there that needs to get to the cap that needs players like we

How many times did we talk? Well, Chicago's got to get some players San Jose's got to get some players man. Utah's gonna be crazy. Utah's dying to spend money Well, who was the other day that needed to spend like 30 million to get to the floor? San Jose has 50, but I don't know what their floor is. So who are they spending it on? That's what I'm saying. Like maybe maybe they do just say hey forget it We'll give you a nine ten million like we'll just we'll take you. I don't know. We'll see All right, CJ Ten significant signings in that one radio hit. I know that's an all-timer

I'm sorry if I was distracted my phone it just melted I can imagine where you're going through right now because yeah Marner We didn't even ask you about Evan Bouchard which was again 20 minutes ago that guy signed a four-year extension at 10.5 million. That's old news. Old news but like what do you make of a shorter term deal for Bouchard and Edmonton as opposed to either a True Bridge a two or three year deal or a seven or eight year extension i mean what they would love to find them for eight but they did they just did not the

cap room and and in a rising market like this for the caps going up god like that i think there are going to be left likely to take the longer term deals and so they did what they could and that if i'm in edmonton today and covering the oil is everyday i'd say that now their window right it's it's the four years that they're guaranteed with bush are they have dry title fine and now they got to get to work on ninety seven at some point here and and you'll get away to get him and extended as well

i've been prover of resigning seven years eight point five million with columbus according to pier lebron and i'm sure chris johnston if we were wasting your time here but uh... so prover of off the board but i saw saw Frankie Corrado going through his tray is like free agent listen He's gonna he's gonna attack three hours ago. The guy was running through his board and now like ten of the players are gone, dude He's not good. He can just mail it in and do something tonight Now he's gonna be talking about guys on the fourth line playing is Finland, dude

That's shrapnel who nobody wants an update on what they deserve or right now Right now the quiz master is calling Frankie Corrado. Yeah off the hook. Absolutely. They're saying what are we doing here? What does he show as he showed you know what that's well in CJ buckle up? Cuz I guarantee a sports center is gonna call you in 30 seconds and say whenever you're ready to come on and do insider trading. So we'll let you go and recalibrate and we'll do it again tomorrow. All right guys and you didn't even get to the biggest news of the day. What's that? They at least have let Pontus Holmberg walk away. You're kidding me. Didn't give them a qualifying offer. Pontus era likely over. that guy was playing in the playoffs second line second line left wing what changed like greg berube love it you that's three

living sand berube you're not get them anymore because you can't blame like berube love playing pondus home I like the guy I don't know if you don't give him a qualifying offer he's just a free agent now and you'd have to choose to come back different numbers that's interesting they don't give a call for an offer is just a free agent now need at the choose to come back to a different numbers that's interesting i don't need another small guy they'd be they need there there's your d and a h well yeah i know it's a piece god do you think i guess quickly will keep

there's so much going on your crow camp like don't need to think how deep could it go or tree living decides to move off players are currently with the leaves i mean look i i would be surprised at both caps and your broker back tree living decides to move off players that are currently with the Leafs? I mean look I would be surprised at both caps and Yarncoker back but you know it also depends on other things right it depends on how much cap space they need but both those players have a signing bonus due tomorrow which after the fact I think

would be easier to move it just means they have left Valerie Owing after those are paid we'll have to see I mean there's there lot of... they're still waiting for some dust to settle here. I mean, they haven't fully processed the fact that they're out on Marshand. So they're probably going to have to regroup and figure out their own plan. Alright CJ, this time we'll really let you go. Thank you buddy. See you boys. Chris Johnston joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline. Drive the built-in Canada fuel-efficient, fun to drive, Toyota RAV44 gas or hybrid models

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