- Morgan Rielly says he expects to still be a Maple Leaf when camp opens
- He has four years left at a $7.5 million cap hit and a no-movement clause
- Read below for what Rielly said about the trade talk and Gavin McKenna
Morgan Rielly finally had a microphone in front of him, and he does not sound like a guy packing boxes.
Toronto’s longest-tenured player spoke with reporters Wednesday at Hockey Night in Brampton, his first public availability since a summer of trade speculation. He was asked how he kept all of it out of his head, and his answer went well past the question, per NHL.com’s Dave McCarthy.
“It’s not as hard as it seems. I feel very lucky to have great people around me. I’ve been training really hard and I feel grateful to be a part of this organization. I think there’s great things ahead.”
Then came the direct one. Rielly was asked whether the wait-and-see part is over in his mind and whether he expects to be a Maple Leaf at this point.
“That’s what I would expect,” he said:
That is a long way from where June left him. Rielly handed in a trade list weighted toward the Western Conference, Philadelphia poked around during free agency, and general manager John Chayka spent the offseason taking calls. Nothing turned into a deal, and Carlo Colaiacovo argued this week that the fan base has been aiming at the wrong target anyway.
Money and control explain most of it. Rielly is in year five of an eight-year, $60 million extension at a $7.5 million cap hit, with four seasons left counting this one and a no-movement clause.
His production did not help the pitch. He put up 11 goals and 25 assists in 78 games, his quietest full season since 2016-17, though he still averaged 21:08 a night.
Now he walks into a room that barely resembles last year’s. Toronto missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016, hired Jim Hiller as head coach, handed the front office to Chayka and drafted Gavin McKenna first overall.
Rielly said he appreciated how direct Chayka was in their conversation after the World Championship. He also expects the 18-year-old McKenna to be flying around once camp starts.
All of this came at a charity game. Rielly captained the fifth annual Hockey Night in Brampton, which raises money for William Osler Health System to build the city’s second hospital, and shared the ice with Erik Gudbranson and Kris Versteeg:
Toronto opens the season Sept. 29. Barring something nobody sees coming, No. 44 will be on that blue line for a 14th year.
