Mitch Marner Left One Western Conference Team in the Dust During Free Agency

Mitch Marner remains public enemy number one in Toronto, as he betrayed the franchise by going somewhere else as soon as he became a free agent.

Overall, the forward chose the Las Vegas Golden Knights, and luckily for the Leafs, they were able to get something out of it by completing a sign and trade.

Having said that, the Golden Knights were not the only team in the running for Marner. The Western Conference was full of potential suitors, including a team out in California with money to spend.

That team was none other than the Anaheim Ducks. In the end, Marner decided against them and it is easy to see why considering they haven't made the playoffs in years.

According to Eric Stephens of The Athletic, this would have cost the Ducks $14 million per season. Unfortunately, they were not willing to spend that kind of money.

Marner got signed for $12 million per season, which is a reasonable number when you see what some of the projections were for his salary.

In the end, Marner simply wasn't worth more than a guy like Leon Draisaitl. Not to mention, in a place like Las Vegas, Marner won't have to pay as much tax, which makes his contract worth that much more.

Going into next season, the expectations will be through the roof, as fans are expecting Marner to be one of the best players in the league.

If he and Jack Eichel don't gel together, then there are going to be plenty of upset Golden Knights fans looking to raise hell.