The Toronto Maple Leafs could be embroiled in another tampering suspicion this offseason. According to insider Elliotte Friedman, the Vegas Golden Knights might be under the microscope of suspicions of tampering in their pursuit of UFA Mitch Marner.
Friedman has been reporting the ongoing saga involving the Maple Leafs and Marner as the latter is destined to depart this offseason. Among the leading suitors for the 100-point scorer is Vegas.
However, as Friedman pointed out in Sunday’s edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Vegas has been nipping at Marner’s heels for a year now. He dropped a bombshell admission, stating that the Leafs were willing to move Marner in exchange for defenseman Shea Theodore. The Golden Knights, however, were unwilling to part with Theodore.
Fast-forward to June 2025, and the Golden Knights are once again in hot pursuit of Marner. This time, though, the Golden Knights reportedly approached the Leafs at the 2025 NHL Draft to discuss the availability of Marner’s rights.
The Leafs and Vegas have been discussing a deal ever since.
But the buck doesn’t stop there. Friedman took the discussion one step further, claiming that the Golden Knights stepped over the line by getting close to Marner before he’s eligible to talk to other teams.
That situation contradicts NHL edicts, proclaiming that teams must remain within the bounds of ethical negotiations with UFAs. Moreover, the league is looking to make an example out of someone who egregiously violates said edicts.
That situation prompted Friedman to state:
"I’m not passing any judgment on guilty or not guilty of tampering. I have no idea. I’m just a guy holding a microphone in the bowels of the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. But there’s been some talk that if Marner goes to Vegas, the Maple Leafs will go after Vegas for tampering."
If the Maple Leafs choose to go that route, the following could happen per Friedman:
"Again, I have no proof that Vegas is guilty of anything. But it’s a time around the league when teams are extremely sensitive about it, and, as a couple of GMs told me on Saturday, they think the NHL is itching to try and make an example out of someone."
Friedman concluded:
"These GMs are on alert. They think somebody’s going to get hammered."
It’s worth pointing out that Friedman stressed the fact that he has no tangible proof of the claims he made. Moreover, he feels that if the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights work out a solid deal, and the Leafs get good players in return, the tampering investigation could get swept under the rug.
Check out Friedman’s comments from the beginning of the podcast till the 13:20 mark.
Consequences Vegas could face for tampering if Maple Leafs file claim
In a June 26 piece in The Athletic, insider Pierre LeBrun explored what the consequences could be for tampering amid the hubbub surrounding Mitch Marner and the Vegas Golden Knights.
In particular, LeBrun quoted the NHL’s Bill Daly on the potential consequences a team could face if found responsible for tampering.
LeBrun reported:
"Fines, suspensions and potential loss of draft picks."
The comments from Daly don’t sound quite as harsh. However, the NHL, as Friedman noted and LeBrun reiterated, is looking to make an example out of someone. As a result, the Golden Knights, or any other club, could face a potentially stringent penalty.
It’s unclear what that penalty could exactly be at this point. The league would have to conduct an investigation and determine the severity of the tampering violations.
The worst thing that could happen to the Golden Knights could be a suspension. A suspension would limit how the team can conduct business, potentially costing people in the Vegas front office their jobs.
Once again, everything is merely hearsay at this point. It remains to be seen if anything comes of these suspicions or if it’s just something that goes away, like every other tampering suspicion thus far.