Prior to the trade deadline, the Maple Leafs, Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes discussed a trade that would have sent Marner to Vegas and Rantanen to Toronto, according to James Mirtle of The Athletic. However, that deal fell through when Vegas and Carolina failed to "find the right assets to include to get it done."

The story of this NHL offseason is Mitch Marner's free agency. But it nearly was a much different setup. The Toronto Maple Leafs reportedly almost traded Marner in a massive three-team bonanza during the season.