Photo credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Sportsnet writer Michael Amato brought forth a team that could be a perfect team for Morgan Rielly should the Maple Leafs decide to trade him in the near future.
As the Toronto Maple Leafs take a look at who they may be getting rid of this season, there’s a name who has been brought up heavily as a potential trade candidate though it seems like a roadblock given the circumstances.
That player is Morgan Rielly, the team’s longest-tenured player and someone who has seen everything from the highs of highs and lows of lows, but he hasn’t been that #1 defenceman Toronto really needs for the future.
Morgan Rielly’s contract an issue but one team could save the day
So with that comes a lot of trade talks though with his contract it’ll be like moving a mountain, though according to one Sportsnet writer — they could have a lot of help.
Sportsnet’s Michael Amato posted on X that the San Jose Sharks are currently staring at a very rough defensive situation with only two blueliners signed through next year, that being Dmitry Orlov and rookie Sam Dickinson.
Amato then stated that if the Maple Leafs wanted to move on from Rielly, then it seems San Jose makes perfect sense:
If the Leafs are moving on from Morgan Rielly this summer, the Sharks feel like one of the most ideal trade partners. Only two D signed for next season.
Keep in mind that with the cap skyrocketing, the floor is going up, too. Teams will have to get there.
San Jose is no stranger to making deals with Toronto or for taking on big contracts to get their cap situation figured out. This is a team that willingly took on the rest of Carey Price’s deal as well as trading for Ryan Reaves and won’t have their buyouts affecting them really going forward.
Why moving Rielly to the Sharks makes sense for both sides
Rielly would be the perfect defender to mentor the Sharks while also not having a #1 role. There have been rumours the Sharks also want Dougie Hamilton and could afford them both, so having Hamilton as your #1 playmaker and Rielly as #2 is really solid.
Meanwhile, Toronto gets rid of a horrific contract and opens up a ton of flexibility to bring in players they need. That’s an extra $7-million plus, which could be used to go after a top-six star or even a new #1 blueliner of their own.
Rielly, 31, has 544 points in 927 games (94 goals, 450 assists) all with the Maple Leafs, though his production and defensive game has dipped consistently year after year; and the team looks much better without him right now.
If there’s some chance for the Maple Leafs to pull off a Rielly deal and get him off their books, it could be the best move they’ve made in the past several years.
While it may not be David Clarkson levels of impressive, if Toronto can turn Rielly into someone younger, cheaper, and maybe add a couple picks then you could argue they finally made the deal that changed their identity going forward.
Previously on Hockey Patrol