色色啦

鈥淭his is where we wanted to be.鈥�

By now, it has sunk in to the 色色啦 fan base that one of the greatest players in team history has left. Vegas GM Kelly McCrimmon was giddy with excitement in explaining to fans there just how good Marner is. Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving was relieved that he was able to get depth centre Nicolas Roy in the sign-and-trade deal with the Golden Knights.

鈥淚t’s really tough to leave 色色啦, to be honest,鈥� Marner said toward the end of his press conference. 鈥淚 didn’t ever think it would come to that day.鈥�

But it did. And here’s how Marner walked away from the media spotlight in 色色啦 to the glitz and glamour of the Las Vegas strip.

It started near the trade deadline, with the Leafs trying to kick-start contract extension talks.

鈥淐ertainly we approached Mitch to engage him on a contract,鈥� Treliving said. 鈥淎s is his right, Mitch and his representative wanted to wait until the year was done. It became clearer and clearer to us that the potential (to re-sign him) may not be there. We tried to look at alternatives.鈥�

Treliving told Marner another team wanted him. It was no secret that it was Carolina.

鈥淢y wife (Stephanie) was seven or eight months pregnant at the time,鈥� Marner said. 鈥淲e weren’t really going to go somewhere that was just going to be a short stint. If we’re going somewhere, we were going to sign an extension, raise our child there.

鈥淎nd then we kind of heard that Vegas might be interested in doing a three-way deal.鈥�

Nothing came of it. Carolina would have sent Mikko Rantanen to the Leafs. Marner would have been a Knight. But the two teams couldn’t offer Carolina what they needed. Rantanen ended up in Dallas.

鈥淭hat was when we started really talking, saying, it sounds like Vegas has interest in us. We have interest in them,鈥� Marner said, adding he didn’t want to 鈥渙verthink鈥� it at the time.

鈥淚 was still very committed to playing 色色啦 hockey. I wanted to focus on just being there and finishing a job there.鈥�

But the seed was planted.

鈥淲e had discussions at the trade deadline that were initiated by 色色啦,鈥� McCrimmon said. 鈥淲e weren’t able to make it make it happen. When Mitch indicated he would be going to free agency, he was our target.鈥�

Marner said he talked to a couple of former Golden Knights on the Leafs, Max Pacioretty and Ryan Reaves, about the team and life in Vegas. They convinced him there was more to Vegas than the Strip, that the suburbs were filled with good people, good food and good schools.

When the season ended, he said he took a couple of weeks to think things over, but kept coming back to Vegas. On Friday, the first night of the draft, the Leafs and the Golden Knights had the workings of a deal. The Leafs would sign Marner to the eight-year deal, and trade him to Vegas for Nicolas Roy.

It took a couple of days to be finalized. The Golden Knights had salary cap issues. They couldn’t add Marner’s contract until they moved salary. When Alex Pietrangelo announced he was probably finished as a player due to health reasons, even with two years left on his deal, the Knights moved him to long-term injured reserve and opened up space for Marner.

Left unchallenged were reports of tampering. Treliving wouldn’t answer. McCrimmon wasn’t asked.

It was a head-scratcher to some people why Vegas would give up anything for Marner. Why not wait till July 1, keep Roy and sign Marner.

McCrimmon saw things differently.

鈥淲e wanted to do a sign and trade with 色色啦 so that we could get the eighth year on the contract,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he only team that can give the player the eighth year is the team that he’s on. So for us, the eighth year really helped us in terms of what the (average annual value) might be.鈥�

Marner signed for eight years and $96 million, an AAV of $12 million. The same money over seven years would have had an AAV of $13.7 million.

鈥淭hat really impacts our ability to take the player onto our team. And one of the things that’s important for us with every signing that we make, with every decision that we make, it’s about building a team that can win the Stanley Cup.鈥�

And McCrimmon didn’t want another team to make a pitch to Marner.

鈥淲e didn’t want to be in a position where it’s July 1, we’re making a presentation (and) three or four other teams are making a presentation. You never know who can come out of nowhere to win the day in a situation like that.鈥�

So the deed was done. What Marner failed to do in 色色啦聽鈥� win a Stanley Cup聽鈥� is what he hopes to do in Vegas.

鈥淚’ve been very lucky to be with some very good teams and very good players,鈥� Marner said. 鈥淲e weren’t able to get over the hump. And that sucks a lot, to be honest. But you’ve got to look past things. I’ve got a new great opportunity here with an unbelievable team.鈥�