Mitch Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl found himself in the middle of NHL trade rumors Tuesday. While it was all smoke and no fire for now, RG has confirmed that teams have poked around on the 6-foot-3, 220-pound center, who will turn 32 in November.
Many around the NHL are speculating that the Golden Knights will be major players in the Mitch Marner UFA sweepstakes and are trying to clear cap space to lure the soon-to-be former Toronto Maple Leafs star.
“The word is, they’re going all in for Marner,” an NHL source told RG on Tuesday afternoon.
Talk of Vegas’ interest in Marner flared after a false report circulated Tuesday morning that Hertl had been traded to the Carolina Hurricanes. Former NHL agent and current BPM Sports NHL analyst David Ettedgui posted on X that Hertl had been dealt to Carolina but quickly walked the claim back, admitting he had jumped the gun.
RG’s Marco D’Amico followed up by reporting that, while no Hertl trade had occurred, the center’s name had come up “a few times” over the past week.
Elite Prospects insider Cam Robinson also noted the rumor, adding that there was “some smoke” but no confirmed fire.
Knights’ Top Six Draw Leaguewide Interest
Hertl isn’t the only Knights player drawing trade interest. With several teams hunting for a second-line center, the Boston Bruins (who are also pursuing Brock Boeser), Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Blackhawks, Seattle Kraken, and Carolina Hurricanes are all working the phones. However, as of Tuesday night, nothing was imminent on Hertl or any other top-six center.
“He’s one of a few players with Vegas that teams are wondering about right now,” another NHL source told RG.
“But until that Carolina rumor today, I hadn’t heard anything was close. I looked into it, and it was just chatter. Nothing had gained enough traction to be imminent. But can I see him getting dealt? Yes, and it makes a ton of sense if they are going after Marner.”
Hertl has three years left on an eight-year, $65.1 million contract with an $8.1 million AAV. However, with the San Jose Sharks retaining 17 percent of the deal, his cap hit for Vegas—or any acquiring team—is $6.75 million. His full no-movement clause expires June 30 and becomes a modified no-trade clause July 1.
In his first full season with the Knights after being acquired at the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, Hertl scored 32 goals and recorded 61 points in 72 games. Fourteen of those goals and 23 points came on the power play.
With Friday’s 2025 NHL Entry Draft approaching, other Vegas players continue to surface in trade chatter. Defenseman Nicolas Hague, 26, is an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent, and original “misfit” forward William Karlsson, 32, also remains on the rumor mill. Karlsson has two years left on his eight-year, $47.2 million contract, which carries a $5.9 million cap hit.
James Murphy
With 24 years of experience (SiriusXM NHL Network Radio, ESPN Boston, NESN, NHL.com, etc.) covering the Bruins, the NHL, NCAA and junior hockey, and more, Jimmy Murphy’s hockey black book is filled with Hall of Famers, current players, coaches, management, scouts and a wide array of hockey media personalities that have lived in and around this great game. For 22 of his 24 years as a hockey and sports reporter, Murphy covered the Bruins on a daily basis, including their victorious 2011 Stanley Cup run and their runs to the 2013 and 2019 Finals. Murphy is currently a co-host, along with Pierre McGuire, on The Eye Test Podcast.
