Golden Knights use unexpected $8.8 million injury move to fit Mitch Marner's $12 million contract

The Las Vegas Golden Knights had to figure out how to fit Mitch Marner's contract on the books.

Conveniently, the $8.8 million that they're paying to defenseman Alex Pietrangelo was ruled out for the entire 2025-26 season not long before Marner was acquired.

That's not to suggest anything like foul play is happening here. It just worked out very nicely.

The Knights also got more of a break that Marner's eight-year sign-and-trade contract from Toronto came in at $12 million per year and not the $13-14 million that many expected.

Vegas still has a lot of salary devoted to just a handful of players.

Among the other highly paid Golden Knights are Jack Eichel, Alex Stone and Shea Theodore.

MORE: Maple Leafs trade for Mitch Marner's replacement in buy-low deal from Mammoth

But on the bright side, Vegas now has Marner.

There aren't many players like Marner, a two-way superstar who is coming off his first career 100-point season and is so good defensively that he once filled in with defenseman shifts while the Maple Leafs dealt with injury issues.

Vegas will take that no matter what they have to pay. And the facts that the books fit together a little bit on the easy side now isn't a bad thing, either.

MORE NHL NEWS:

• Ducks draft pick Roger McQueen got to meet Lightning McQueen
• The Golden Knights are looking at a salary cap problem
• Maple Leafs need a free agent rebound after losing Marner, Marchand
• Mitch Marner makes a shocking silent statement with his departure
• Panthers pull off Brad Marchand, Aaron Ekblad salary miracles