One of the prevailing storylines for the Toronto Maple Leafs this offseason is the fate of longtime defenseman Morgan Rielly, who remains with the club for now despite being heavily involved in trade rumors.
The Maple Leafs have already made several monumental changes to the organization, both on the ice and in their front office as well as on the bench, and there’s a real chance that Rielly could eventually be moved from the place that he’s called home since being taken in the first round of the 2012 NHL Draft.
As of now, no trade has been made for the veteran blue liner, but in the eyes of a prominent NHL Insider, it’s only a matter of time.
Chris Johnston Believes The Toronto Maple Leafs Will Trade Morgan Rielly Soon
According to NHL Insider Chris Johnston, it’s only a matter of time before the Maple Leafs trade Rielly.
“I continue to hear that the expectation is he’ll still be moved before next season,” Johnston said earlier this month.
Johnston had also previously indicated that reports that Rielly had given a list of teams that he’d accept a deal to were false.
“Sources say Morgan Rielly hasn’t green-lighted a trade by waiving his NMC at this point in time. Any reports to the contrary are false,” Johnston said.
Maple Leafs GM John Chayka Expressed Belief In Morgan Rielly
Maple Leafs GM John Chayka, who has spearheaded the meaningful moves the Leafs have made since he took over the job vacated by Brad Treliving, said that Rielly is a “good” defenseman and has been known for his leadership skills.
“With regards to Morgan, we’re talking about a really good defenceman,” stated Chayka. “For us, where we’re at, and where we’re trying to go, he’s been a leader, longest-tenured Leaf, nothing but total respect for him. But again, we’ll continue to look to improve the group and consider everything, but, I’d say at this juncture, Morgan’s a big part of this.”
Meanwhile, Chayka also indicated that talks have been had with Rielly’s camp regarding a potential move, but everything remains a work in progress.
“We’re going to continue to explore some things,” he said. “We had some discussions around the draft, we had discussions around free agency, but, these things are hard.”
“It’s hard to forecast exactly what could fall, and certainly, we think we have some good stability through our lineup now. If we can add difference makers, I think we should always be trying to do that. And, it does feel like there could be some more liquidity in the market in these July/August months, so we’ll keep adding.”
Rielly, in his 13th season with the Maple Leafs, recorded 11 goals and 25 assists for a total of 36 points. He averaged 21:08 of ice time per game and finished the year with a minus-18 rating.
He’s been with the Maple Leafs for over a decade, and has seen the highs and lows of the franchise that have also included multiple early exits from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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