“Leaving isn’t easy.” That’s how Mitch Marner said goodbye to Toronto and if you’ve followed his journey, you know he meant every word. Nine seasons. Hometown kid. Childhood dream fulfilled. But dreams shift, and just like that, Marner is heading west. The Vegas Golden Knights snatched him up in a blockbuster sign-and-trade, locking him down with eight-year, $96 million deal. But here’s the wild part, he’s already making Golden Knights history… and he hasn’t even put on the jersey yet. Wait, what? How is that possible?

Well, let’s talk numbers, literally. Vegas dropped the news that Mitch Marner will be the first player in team history to wear No. 93. Since the franchise’s birth in 2017, not a single player has touched that number. Not one. And now, Marner owns it. Vegas even had fun with it on X, posting: “Mitch Marner will become the first Golden Knight to wear No. 93… dude is already making VGK history 😎👏”. That’s right, before the first puck drop, he’s already making noise. But here’s where it gets cooler.

93 isn’t just some flashy new look, it’s Mitch Marner’s roots. That’s the number he wore with the London Knights back in junior hockey. The same London Knights where he dominated the OHL, led his team to a Memorial Cup, and became the kid everyone was watching. Picking 93 in Vegas isn’t random, it’s personal. It’s a return to the version of Marner that played with swagger and joy. Is it a fresh start? Absolutely. But it’s also a full-circle moment. And let’s be real, 93 has been untouched in Vegas for a reason.

Since Day 1, the Golden Knights have only retired two numbers: 58, in honor of the victims of the 2017 Vegas shooting, and 99, retired league-wide for Wayne Gretzky. Every other number? Rotated through. But 93? It sat there, waiting. And now, it’s Marner’s no hand-me-downs, no legacy to follow, just a number ready to be defined by him. How often do players get that kind of clean slate? Of course, back in Toronto, he wore No. 16. But let’s not pretend that legacy was simple. When Marner departed the Leafs, he was one of the most contested individuals of his time, being very gifted yet receiving all types of criticism, being liked and yet being doubted. In Vegas, he is throwing in the script. 93 is not a number, but a statement. It is only worn by a handful of NHL stars, such as Doug Gilmour, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Petr Nedved. and now Marner is added to that list as the first of Vegas.

No, he has not even played a second wearing a Golden Knights uniform. But how many players are already setting records when they have not even come onto the ice? Mitch Marner has just done. And one thing about it… we haven’t seen nothing yet. And even though his new life in Vegas has already begun with a bang, you can still but feel compelled to remember, and ask the question, was it really enough, after all, when all was said and done, and all went right, or wrong, with all these happenings with Marner in Toronto?

So no, he hasn’t played a second in a Golden Knights uniform. But ask yourself, how many players start breaking records before they even hit the ice? Mitch Marner just did. And something tells us… this is only the beginning. However, as he is already flying in his new chapter in Vegas, we cannot help but look behind at him and think: Marner has had an electric time in Toronto, no doubt about it, but was it ever truly enough?

Mitch Marner lit up Toronto but the playoff spark never caught fire

Nine seasons. Over 741 points. A franchise rookie assist record. A 102-point campaign. On paper, the numbers are undeniable. Mitch Marner was the guy–fast, creative, a constant highlight machine. All Leafs fans are familiar with the stress: game after game, year after year of regular-season brilliance ruined by the inability to nail all the regular-season excellence together in the playoffs. He arrived: alright, 63 points in 70 playoff games but never took the club beyond the second round. That is why the gasp-inducing blockbuster sign-and-trade on June 30 could not be just a shocker. It was just to be expected. But the twist is this, will Vegas be the right thing that Marner needs?

Toronto flipped him to the Golden Knights right after handing him a massive eight-year, $96 million deal. In return? Vegas sent back Nicolas Roy, a solid two-way forward but make no mistake, this was about freeing Mitch Marner. He walks into a Cup-ready room led by Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, Shea Theodore, and more. A group that already lifted the Cup in 2023. You’ve got to wonder: does this team finally give him the playoff support and structure he never quite had in Toronto? And don’t overlook what Vegas just did with their cap.

They cleared space aggressively, placing Alex Pietrangelo on LTIR, to make this deal work. That tells you everything. Vegas didn’t just want a star, they’re all in on Marner. They see him as a top-line winger, a power-play quarterback, a guy who can lead this team back to the Cup Final. But what version of Marner are we getting in Vegas? The one who dropped 102 points last season and dances through defenders like it’s easy? Or the one who’s still searching for that game-breaking playoff moment?

He’s no longer part of the Leafs’ “Core Four.” In Vegas, he’s not one of the guys, he is the guy. That’s a whole new kind of pressure, but maybe… that’s exactly what he needs. Toronto’s once-favorite son is heading to the desert. No more homegrown legacy. No more Toronto headlines. Just Mitch Marner, a stacked roster, and a clean slate in Sin City.
And honestly? That might be the best shot he’s ever had. The real question now is: can he finally flip the script when it matters most? Only time will tell.