Morgan Rielly had another solid year in Toronto, but big changes are coming after another playoff disappointment, and he could be the marquee name moved.
John Tavares, Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly have all faced major criticism for the Toronto Maple Leafs latest playoff disappointment, with fans already happy to move on from one or potentially more of them. Now, reporter Matt Larkin of Daily Faceoff has revealed his insight into the situation, predicting that Rielly, rather than Marner or Tavares would be the obvious option to be traded.
«Rielly, the longest tenured Leaf, has a deep emotional attachment to the team and its core. He hasn't been a scapegoat, and he was pretty darn good during the 2022-23 playoffs, but he simply isn't an all-situations horse who can shut down the other team's best players. That said, while he isn't an alpha No. 1 blueliner, he also isn't paid as one. At $7.5 million, he's merely the 23rd– richest defenseman in the league. He has a full no-movement clause and is under contract six more seasons. Unlike Marner and Tavares, Rielly didn't grow up in this market. He's a Western Canadian. Is there a chance he'd be willing to waive in the event of a trade simply for a fresh start for the second half of his career?»
Since the dramatic game seven loss to the Boston Bruins, Toronto fans have predicted their dream off-season, and with the need to improve on the blue line and in net, it appears everyone not named Matthews or Nylander could be on the move.
As pointed out, Rielly has a NMC for several years, but without connections to Toronto beyond his time as a Maple Leaf, if the team approached him for a trade, it could certainly be a possibility.
Source: Hockey Feed
| POLL | ||
15 MAI | 777 ANSWERS Potential blockbuster trade incoming for Toronto's Morgan Rielly Which star Maple Leaf is most likely to be moved this summer? | ||
| Morgan Rielly | 123 | 15.8 % |
| Mitch Marner | 548 | 70.5 % |
| John Tavares | 106 | 13.6 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
Latest 10 stories
