The Marner file: What to know about Knights’ newest star forward
The Golden Knights are making another huge investment in the future of their franchise.
Mitch Marner may just be worth it, and then some.
The Knights made yet another blockbuster addition by acquiring the 28-year-old right wing in a sign-and-trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Marner inked an eight-year, $96 million contract as part of the deal.
“This team, since it’s entered the league, has pushed boundaries to be that winning team,” Marner said during his introductory news conference Tuesday. “That’s where I want to be. I want to be in a winning situation.”
Marner, a native of Markham, Ontario, is one of the best two-way forwards in the NHL and should help his new franchise push for its second Stanley Cup next season.
Here are five things to know about the Knights’ newest star:
1. Top scorer
Marner, who was selected No. 4 overall in the 2015 draft by Toronto, has 741 points in 657 NHL games.
Only seven players have scored more since he made his debut Oct. 12, 2016.
Marner has two 30-goal seasons and two 90-point seasons. He scored a career-high 102 points last year with the Maple Leafs, which would be a Knights franchise record. Center Jack Eichel became the first player in team history to score more than 90 points when he recorded a career-high 94 last season.
Marner is a playmaker with a sharp hockey IQ. He should be a seamless fit on the Knights power play and boost their scoring at five-on-five.
“We’re getting one of the best forwards in the National Hockey League,” general manager Kelly McCrimmon. “Our fans will love this player. He really adds to our team.”
2. Elite defensive forward
What makes Marner special, besides his offensive output, is how incredible he is in his own zone.
He has received votes for the Selke Trophy for best defensive forward each of the last seven seasons and was a finalist for the award in 2023.
Marner, listed at 6 feet, 180 pounds, isn’t the biggest skater, but he reads plays well and is strong on pucks. He joins a lineup full of strong defensive forwards like Eichel, captain Mark Stone and center William Karlsson.
Teams should have a tough time scoring on the Knights no matter who is on the ice.
3. Clutch for Canada
Adding Marner likely gives the Knights another Olympian.
He was part of Team Canada’s gold-medal winning squad at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February and his production likely earned him a spot on the Olympic team as well.
Marner finished with three points in four games for Canada and scored an overtime goal to defeat Sweden in round-robin play.
MITCH MARNER!!! 🚨
He wins it for Canada in just an amazing overtime! 🍁 #4Nations pic.twitter.com/lcXpPbkoBw
— NHL (@NHL) February 13, 2025
He had a chance to get to know several of his new teammates at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Stone, defenseman Shea Theodore and goaltender Adin Hill also played for Team Canada, while coach Bruce Cassidy was an assistant on coach Jon Cooper’s staff.
4. Another 2015 draftee
Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid remains the jewel of the 2015 draft class as the No. 1 overall pick.
But the Knights are snatching up most of the other top selections.
Marner is the third 2015 draftee the team has traded for after Eichel (No. 2) and defenseman Noah Hanifin (No. 5). The only player who went in the top five that year who doesn’t play in the Pacific Division is No. 3 overall pick Dylan Strome, a center who was selected by the then-Arizona Coyotes and now skates for the Washington Capitals.
The 2015 draft should go down as one of the best in NHL history. Other notable selections include right wing Mikko Rantanen (No. 10 to Colorado), center Sebastian Aho (No. 35 to Carolina) and left wing Kirill Kaprizov (No. 135 to Minnesota).
5. Searching for Stanley
The main knock on Marner is he has yet to lift hockey’s ultimate prize.
The Maple Leafs won just two of 11 playoff series during his time with the team and never advanced past the second round. Marner has 63 points in 70 postseason games, a dip from his regular-season output.
A lot of his struggles can be pinned on Toronto, however. The Maple Leafs haven’t made it to a conference final since 2002 and haven’t won a Stanley Cup since 1967. It’s worth noting Marner’s 0.9 points per game in the playoffs still rank 27th in the NHL since he entered the league among players who have appeared in more than 20 postseason games.
Eichel (1.08) is the only player on the Knights with a higher scoring average in the playoffs.
There were several questions about whether Eichel could succeed in the postseason when the Buffalo Sabres traded him in November 2021. Then he led the NHL in scoring his first playoff run with the Knights and won the Stanley Cup.
Marner is going to get the opportunity to skate a similar path.
“You want to be in a place where you want to win,” Marner said. “That’s the whole goal of why we do this. You want to hoist the Stanley Cup. This team has shown they can do it. I’m lucky enough to hopefully be a piece to help bring it back here.”
Contact Danny Webster at dwebster@reviewjournal.com. Follow @DannyWebster21 on X.