Stunning Details Emerge from Collapsed Three-Team Blockbuster Involving Marner and Rantanen

The Toronto Maple Leafs tried to trade Mitch Marner to the Carolina Hurricanes at the trade deadline in a one-for-one deal involving Mikko Rantanen, but ultimately, he used his no-trade clause to turn the deal down.

Now, James Mirtle of The Athletic has revealed the details of a three-team trade that would have seen Rantanen head to Toronto and Marner head to the Vegas Golden Knights, with other assets going to Carolina, but it's one that ultimately didn't come to fruition.

The reason behind that? Reportedly, the Hurricanes and the Golden Knights couldn't find the assets to make a deal work, and eventually it meant the trade simply fell apart, with Carolina eventually trading Rantanen to Dallas while the Maple Leafs held on to their star forward for the remainder of his final year under contract with the team.

This was almost one of the biggest trades in NHL history, and while we don't know who Vegas planned to send to Carolina, given the caliber of the other players involved, it very likely would have been a star player, meaning we could have seen three All-Star caliber talents moved in one trade.

However, this ends up being another example of a trade simply being too big to come together, with Carolina and Vegas not being willing to include the necessary assets to get it done, with all three teams eventually eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs before reaching the Finals.

Now, Marner is a free agent and Rantanen is locked in to a long-term deal in Dallas, meaning we may not see another potential deal this size in the near future, but with many stars set to hit the market in the summer of 2026, don't discount a possible blockbuster deal next season.