Hockey

Mitch Marner: in case of raiding, his contract could be terminated
Jonathan Di Gregorio
Mitch Marner: in case of raiding, his contract could be terminated
Credit: Getty Images

Mitch Marner has been the talk of the town in recent weeks.

As soon as the Toronto Maple Leafs were eliminated in seven games during the second round, when many fans booed Marner, his return to the Queen City seemed unlikely.

The latest rumors link the forward to the Vegas Golden Knights , who are reportedly trying to acquire his rights via a trade.

Nicolas Roy, in particular, is rumoured to be on his way to Toronto, which could also help the Golden Knights free up money for Marner.

Today, we learned that the Leafs could accuse the Knights of poaching if Marner decides to sign in Nevada.

Is this a blackmail attempt by the Leafs to force a deal and get their star player back?

It's possible, but the threat is no less real.

The consequences of tampering, i.e. contacting a player before his autonomy, can be very serious, both for a team and for the player in question.

As we all know, the NHL is starting to get fed up with this practice, with a number of questionable signings last year.

However, to date, the League has never imposed full consequences on a team for poaching, but it may well be tempted to make an example of the Vegas club.

For now, the Maple Leafs have no concrete proof that Vegas has raided, but the organization clearly doesn't like to see their forward's name associated with signing rumors in the city of gambling.

In an extreme case, the National League could even terminate Marner's contract, in addition to suspending him.

Penalties could also be severe for the Knights, as in addition to fines, they could even lose draft picks.

We know that, in the past, the NHL has rarely applied the rules in their most severe form, and the penalties, which are generally lenient, seem more like a slap on the wrist to management, but if it decides to really make an example of them, it could cost Vegas dearly.

On the other hand, it wouldn't be the first risky bet in the capital of vice.


Overtime

– Indeed!

– Talks coming soon?

– Caleb Desnoyers had dinner with the Mammoth's CEO.

– What a slap in the face!

– King James returns!

– All-Star captains

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