Golden Knights Cheapen Mitch Marner Trade Package by Sending Defenseman to Another Team

Mitch Marner trade talks were reported on Saturday by Elliotte Friedman, and Maple Leafs fans have been paying attention with a watchful eye ever since.

Overall, the Las Vegas Golden Knights are hungry for Marner. Furthermore, the alleged threat of a tampering charge could be motivating the Knights to get a deal done as a means of appeasing the Leafs.

As late as yesterday, it was said that the package for Marner would be along the lines of center Nicolas Roy, as well as defenseman Nicolas Hague. Now, it appears as though that will no longer be the case.

While Roy is still very much on the table, the Golden Knights have opted to go in a different direction with Hague, as this morning, he was traded to the Nashville Predators.

Jeremy Lauzon and Colton Sissons are going from the Predators to the Golden Knights. Meanwhile, Hague has signed a four-year deal with an AAV of $5.5 million.

Needless to say, the potential trade package for Marner has just gotten a whole lot weaker. However, there are other players on the team who could potentially get dealt to the Leafs.

Today is going to be truly fascinating as Free Agency officially begins at noon on Tuesday, July 1st. If you are in Canada, it will be a spectacular Canada Day.

For Maple Leafs fans, it is going to be a stressful day, although the signings of John Tavares and Matthew Knies will certainly put you in a good mood.

Only time will tell whether or not Marner is traded prior to the free agency period, or if he will simply meet with teams and decide to do his own thing.

Whatever the case may be, the course of history for the Toronto Maple Leafs is about to change in a dramatic way.