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NHL Insider Makes Groundbreaking Morgan Rielly Trade Proposal
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly has been steadily declining, and there has been all sorts of speculation that the team would try and trigger a trade.
Morgan Rielly has been facing a decline as of late, and we can say that from both a defensive and offensive perspective.
Last season, the defenseman had 41 points in 82 games, which is a dropoff from his 58 points in 72 games from the season before.
Overall, this has led to some interesting questions about whether or not there is a future for Rielly with the Toronto Maple Leafs or if he would be better off somewhere else.
Morgan Rielly for Rasmus Andersson?
Nick Kypreos dropped off his trade board recently for Sportsnet, and as you can imagine, it featured Morgan Rielly near the top.
He made a pretty cogent argument for why it would be a good idea for the Leafs and Rielly to move on from one another.
Rielly is not on this list because anything is imminent or guaranteed to happen, but he is the logical first place the Leafs could look if they want to make deeper changes to the roster.
The Leafs want to add another puck-moving, skating defenceman regardless of whether Rielly stays or goes. How high level of a defenceman they will add may depend on their ability to move Reilly's contract.
I believe the team will, at some point, begin exploring their options on what to do with Rielly.
His contract - five more years, $7.5 million AAV - is not as onerous as Matthews' or William Nylander's, which would be extremely complicated trades to pull off.
Rielly, 31, does have a full no-movement clause and hasn't made an indication he's willing to waive, so there would need to be a mutual understanding that a change of scenery is in everybody's best interests.
I'd start with a team near his hometown like the Canucks.
The Leafs want to add another puck-moving, skating defenceman regardless of whether Rielly stays or goes. How high level of a defenceman they will add may depend on their ability to move Reilly's contract.
I believe the team will, at some point, begin exploring their options on what to do with Rielly.
His contract - five more years, $7.5 million AAV - is not as onerous as Matthews' or William Nylander's, which would be extremely complicated trades to pull off.
Rielly, 31, does have a full no-movement clause and hasn't made an indication he's willing to waive, so there would need to be a mutual understanding that a change of scenery is in everybody's best interests.
I'd start with a team near his hometown like the Canucks.
As for who the Leafs could trade for, look no further than Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson, who has been an absolute stud over the years.
Rasmus Andersson is a terrific defender, a Team Sweden mainstay, but he'll turn 29 shortly after the next NHL season begins and is entering the final year of his contract with the Flames.
Eric Francis wrote that Andersson's season-end media availability «certainly felt like a farewell press conference,» and Calgary could very well look to move out Andersson over the summer months.
There's a belief that Brad Treliving had interest in bringing Andersson to Toronto at the 2025 trade deadline: could that be re-examined, and could Rielly be involved?
Eric Francis wrote that Andersson's season-end media availability «certainly felt like a farewell press conference,» and Calgary could very well look to move out Andersson over the summer months.
There's a belief that Brad Treliving had interest in bringing Andersson to Toronto at the 2025 trade deadline: could that be re-examined, and could Rielly be involved?
Whether or not the Leafs can convince Morgan Rielly to waive his no-trade clause is a different story entirely right now.
This offseason is going to be fascinating, and the the Rielly situation is just one of a few storylines we will continue to follow.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 8 | 566 ANSWERS NHL Insider Makes Groundbreaking Morgan Rielly Trade Proposal Do you believe the Toronto Maple Leafs need to force a Morgan Rielly trade? | ||
| YES | 422 | 74.6 % |
| NO | 144 | 25.4 % |
| List of polls | ||