The Chicago Blackhawks have been named as a potential landing spot for Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly. Toronto is undergoing substantial changes this summer and will likely make major moves. The Maple Leafs still need to find a new head coach, but are expected to free up some extra funds. Rielly is likely to be a cap casualty in the offseason.
With the blueliner up for grabs, Sportsnet’s Ryan Dixon believes that the Blackhawks will be interested in Rielly. According to the reporter, Chicago needs to add a veteran defenseman after previously trading away Connor Murphy. The Blackhawks offloaded Murphy to the Edmonton Oilers in March for a second-round draft pick.
On paper, Rielly would provide more offense than Murphy. Despite a down year, the Maple Leafs veteran recorded 36 points during the 2025-26 season in Toronto. Murphy, on the other hand, only managed to rack up 17 points between Chicago and Edmonton.
As Dixon points out, acquiring Rielly would provide a veteran presence to Chicago’s current group of young defenders. Former first-round picks Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel could benefit from this leadership. Both of these youngsters are also right-handed, and the lefty Rielly would not block their development. The Blackhawks typically went with Alex Vlasic, Wyatt Kaiser, and Matt Grzelcyk on the left side of the defense in 2025-26.
Chicago Blackhawks Have the Cap Space to Afford Morgan Rielly
GettyMorgan Rielly would provide a boost to the Chicago Blackhawks blue line.
Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos recently included Rielly in his latest offseason NHL trade board. The insider claims that the Maple Leafs will look to offload the veteran this summer if they find a buyer. “The way it’s been told to me is that Toronto is looking into things, Rielly is aware of it, and that he will be presented with a few options if they arise,” wrote Kypreos.
“Rielly still has no-movement protection for the next two years, but the belief is that wouldn’t be a major hurdle to overcome. However, if there isn’t anything on offer that Toronto is happy with, it will keep him.”
Rielly currently has four more years remaining on his $7.5 million AAV contract. Finding a team willing to take on such a significant salary could be difficult. Nevertheless, the Chicago Blackhawks would seemingly be a solid fit. Along with needing a veteran blueliner, Chicago has plenty of extra money. According to Puckpedia.com, the Blackhawks have over $40 million in projected cap space heading towards the 2026-27 season.
Chicago Also Interested in Rielly’s Toronto Teammate
The Chicago Blackhawks could add Rielly and still have room to strengthen the squad. With superstar center Connor Bedard set for a massive pay raise, Chicago needs to give him some help this summer. Adding the Maple Leafs defenseman alone would likely not move the needle too much. Rielly, however, would immediately be the top offensive blueliner on the team.
Rielly may also not be the only target in Toronto by the Blackhawks. Chicago has been linked with a potential move for Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies for months now. Previous reports claimed that Chicago will reignite interest in the budding star this summer.
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