- Pierre LeBrun says Morgan Rielly is open to a trade out of Toronto
- Rielly gave the Leafs a Western Conference heavy list topped by San Jose and Anaheim
- Read below for LeBrun’s comments and what a deal would take
The Morgan Rielly era in Toronto might be winding down.
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported Monday that the longtime Maple Leafs defenseman is open to a trade and has handed the front office a list of teams he’d accept a deal to. Rielly carries a full no-move clause, so nothing happens without his say-so, and the list he passed along to new GM John Chayka leans hard toward the Western Conference.
LeBrun got specific about where the veteran wants to land:
“Morgan Rielly, as Jonas Siegel reported last week, is open to a move. My sense is that teams like San Jose and Anaheim would be high on his list,” LeBrun said. “Certainly, I know for a fact, he sent a Western Conference heavy list, suggested list to the Leafs, Morgan Rielly did, so we’ll see what the Leafs will do with that.”
Here’s LeBrun laying it out on OverDrive:
San Jose and Anaheim both sit early in rebuilds, and either one could give Rielly a top-pairing role and a fresh start in a smaller market.
The Vancouver native has spent all 13 of his NHL seasons with the Leafs since they took him fifth overall in 2012. He ranks seventh in franchise history in games played at 951 and sits second among Toronto defensemen in both assists (451) and points (549), trailing only the late Borje Salming.
His production has dipped lately. Rielly put up 11 goals and 36 points this past season with a minus-18, the second-worst rating of his Leafs tenure.
Money is the holdup. The 32-year-old is entering year five of the eight-year extension he signed in October 2021, a contract that carries a $7.5 million cap hit through 2029-30. Toronto would probably have to retain salary or take a contract back to get a deal across the line.
If Chayka finds a Western team willing to absorb that money, one of the longest runs in Leafs history could be finished before training camp opens.
