The Toronto Maple Leafs are just days away from a separation with their superstar right-winger Mitch Marner. Signs have pointed towards Marner testing the free agent market for the bulk of the regular season – but official word of the split came via Chris Johnston of The Athletic in mid-May. It’s been a scramble in the five weeks since, with multiple teams pushing their way into the sweepstakes for a 100-point winger. As usual in big-end moves, the Vegas Golden Knights have made themselves front-and-center in discussions – and even gone as far as discussing a trade to acquire Marner’s negotiation rights. But draft day rumors have revealed that, should Vegas sign Marner right away on July 1st without a trade, the Maple Leafs are prepared to file a tampering charge against the Golden Knights, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on the latest 32 Thoughts Podcast.
Friedman emphasized repeatedly that despite these rumors, there is no present evidence of any tampering in Vegas. He also added that charges of tampering would likely go away should the two sides complete a trade before July. But teams are recently acutely sensitive to evidence of tampering, and Friedman adds that the NHL has recently been eyeing opportunities to set examples of how player rights should be managed and respected.
Tampering has been a hot topic in the NHL over the last year. The NHL included a reminder of tampering rules in the 2024-25 season’s first round of GM meetings in November. Specifically, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly reiterated that teams do not have the power to negotiate or agree to new deals with pending-free agents until noon ET on July 1st, unless provided express permission from the rightsholder.
Marner isn’t the only player with tampering concerns swirling around. The Maple Leafs were also the subject of a tampering scare over the last few weeks, after popular podcaster Paul Bissonnette shared that Toronto had already agreed to a deal with Brad Marchand on the Spittin Chiclets podcast — though it appeared those claims were ultimately debunked. The NHL also investigated possible tampering charges against the New Jersey Devils, Seattle Kraken, San Jose Sharks, and Chicago Blackhawks last summer – for their potentially premature signings of Brett Pesce, Brandon Montour, Tyler Toffoli, and Tyler Bertuzzi respectively. The Ottawa Senators also alleged “soft tampering” against the New York Rangers for their pursuit of Brady Tkachuk in December.
On a Hockey Night in Canada broadcast from December, Friedman listed out some of the potential penalties for teams caught tampering (captured here by @PuckReportNHL on Twitter). At a team level, the possible punishments included a fine of up to $5MM, termination of contracts signed, forfeiture of draft picks, and rewarding of confiscated draft picks or cash to the effected club. Players can also be penalized with a $1MM fine, suspension, or expulsion from the league.
For a player like Marner, the thought of tampering charges will ring loud. He is headed for a possible record-breaking, or record-tying, contract this summer after netting 102 points in 81 games this season. He’s among the league’s best wingers – and will be making the first move of his nine-year career with a change of teams this summer. If the NHL is looking for an example to set, closely monitoring free agent negotiations at this scale would be a strong place to start.
These concerns could be mitigated by a swap of assets for Marner’s negotiating rights, which would allow Vegas to sign Marner ahead of July 1st while also providing compensation back to the Maple Leafs. Should Vegas have any concerns, that move may be a nice safeguard to ensure they can land another lineup star with no barriers. Then again, with no clear evidence of tampering, rumors or concerns spreading around NHL circles will be no more than that, until a team is proven guilty.
Leafs will do anything but make real upgrades 🥀
how is this not an upgrade getting something for nothing. hague if part of a deal is an upgrade on their 3rd pairing. Roy would be an upgrade on Kampf and maybe Laughton.
You should expect your favorite team to do just that ANYTHING!!
Seems like a negotiation tactic to me.
Marner is leaving regardless, and the Leafs are days away from getting nothing for him. This just seems like a lever by which they can squeeze as much as possible out of Vegas.
Yup, sounds like Leafs can make this threat in hopes of getting the players they want in sign/trade with Vegas.
Huh? If they’re discussing a sign and trade, that would mean they’ve allowed Marner’s camp to negotiate with Vegas… otherwise how would they complete a sign and trade? The Leafs just doing Leafs things. They’re just doing this to try and save face because Vegas has probably told them “forget it we aren’t giving you any assets” and now the Leafs will look stupid come July 1 when Marner signs there and they get nothing in return.
It probably has to do with before that, Vegas was consistently considered the front runners despite having no cap space, perhaps there was more smoke behind that fire
Genuinely amazed by how lazy Gary and Bill and Co. have become running this league.
Seperate from this issue, the league HAD a problem with tampering. Ex. Sergei Gonchar once signed a deal with OTT with complex bonuses and trade protection structure at 12:01 pm on July 1.
Then, the league come up (stolen from other leagues) with a great solution. Allow a 3 day window where teams and players could talk but not yet sign deals. It eliminated the need to rush, put an end to “take it or leave it” tactics, it stopped the disadvantages for teams who followed the rules, etc.
It worked great.
So, what did they do? Got rid of it, of course.
Never fixing a problem is one thing (like the college UFA loophole). Fixing it and then saying “F it, let’s break it again!” is another.
The league loves the Canada Day free agent frenzy. Plus, the early window would have plenty of unofficial agreements announced two seconds into the negotiating window.
Getting ugly. Being a fan of neither team I like it!
Vegas potentially tampering? Take away another first round pick from Ottawa!
I always thought there was a negotiating window that opened up prior to free agency, like in some other sports. Like FAs could speak to other teams starting June 24th or something but couldn’t sign until July 1st. Considering how many contracts are actually announced on the 1st, it’s probably safe to assume every single team tampers every single FA season
It’s not Toronto that may file the report, its the La Kings. LA wanted to sign him, Marner had it down to Vegas and LA, and now this report of a sign and trade comes out and LA is ticked off. LA thinks its tampering with this “sign and trade” option thats being talked about
LA oughta be pissed about the Knights’ tampering!! They’ve been talking to Marner for weeks and thought they had a deal!!
LOL! Thumbs up!
Sore losers, losing sorely.
20 minutes from now: Leafs trade Marner’s rights to Vegas; Marner signs 8-year extension
Can’t happen! Vegas has to have Marner since the past TDL (March of 2025) to be able to sign him to an 8 yr deal!!!!
If you’re not already negotiating with soon-to-be-free agents, you’re not trying.
Who’s agent were the Leafs negotiating with when they found out?
Marchands’
How stupid is accusing LV of tampering. If there are prior trade discussions between the two teams before July 1st…lol
The NBA is the biggest joke for tampering, as soon as the clock strikes whatever time FA opens up, look at the flurry of deals that are announced that day!
If the Leafs want to make a tampering complaint, then they shouldn’t be in sign and trade negotiations. Extortion? “Throw in Hague with Roy, or no deal. And if you just sign Marner without the trade, then we’ll complain”.
I can’t get my way so I’m going to tattle on you!
Paul Bissonnette is a meathead, He’s a wanna be as a commentator, And a never was as a former player. Guys like him make things up for attention purposes, And unfortunately, They aren’t held accountable.
Toronto is mad because they got caught tampering with Marchand
Vegas tampering? What’s new?
Ineffective penalties give way to the above.
Vegas always seems to find a way to circumvent the system… I have no doubt the team has been tampering in some manner but yet there will be no repercussions as a result. And with all that Vegas will ultimately end up landing Marner as a UFA signee…
Nothing will happen to vegas. Gary’s favorite team. He loves to show them as expansion success.
NHL gotta look more like a biz. Let teams talk to anybody at any time–just like you or I could talk to a competing company while we are working for another.
If the idea can pass the union eyes, have a ‘compensation’ parameter based on a matrix of a player’s years, his old contract AAV, his new contract amount, etc.
That way, Vegas or L.A. (and anyone else) is free to talk to Marner in October, in February, now, in August, whatever. If Mitchie boy goes away from Toronto, the new team has to compensate the Leafs with ‘whatever’ (player, money, draft picks, etc.). Nothing so deep that it would kill free agency, but enough so that the former team (and the league) need not keep eyes constantly peeled for (gasp!) tampering.
Also he is going to end up in Anaheim or SanJose where each team will make him the highest paid player in the league for a short time.