{"id":452921,"date":"2026-02-10T04:15:22","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T04:15:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/452921\/"},"modified":"2026-02-10T04:15:22","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T04:15:22","slug":"3-morgan-rielly-trade-destinations-beyond-san-jose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/452921\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Morgan Rielly Trade Destinations Beyond San Jose"},"content":{"rendered":"

Recent trade talk around Morgan Rielly<\/a> has been as loud and as real as we\u2019ve ever seen during his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs. His underwhelming play this season, combined with the team\u2019s latest short stint of success without him, has only fueled the chatter\u2014and it\u2019s safe to say it isn\u2019t going away anytime soon.<\/p>\n

From a $7.5 million cap hit to a full no-movement clause, there are plenty of obstacles standing in the way of GM Brad Treliving trading the longest-tenured Maple Leaf. As a result, very few suitors have emerged for Rielly, though one that has gained some traction<\/a> of late is the San Jose Sharks.<\/p>\n

San Jose makes a lot of sense as a landing spot, but if Toronto is truly ready to move on from its longtime number-one defenseman, they\u2019ll need to explore other possibilities across the league. With that in mind, let\u2019s look at three other plausible trade destinations for Rielly\u2014either before the deadline or, the more likely scenario, in the offseason.<\/p>\n

Vancouver Canucks<\/p>\n

The Canucks will forever be connected to Rielly, the Vancouver, BC native. At times, making a move for the hometown kid has made sense for the Canucks, while other times it\u2019s been unrealistic. Many will argue that now is not the time, given that the team is just starting a rebuild, but that could actually work in their favor in terms of ability and willingness to make such a trade.<\/p>\n

While they\u2019re currently tight to the salary cap, Vancouver is expected to continue its sell-off in the coming weeks, with the likes of Jake DeBrusk<\/a> ($5.5 million), Conor Garland<\/a> ($4.95 million), Evander Kane<\/a> ($5.125 million), and Elias Pettersson<\/a> ($11.6 million) as sizeable contracts that could be moved. That, along with some free-agent money coming off the books this summer, would allow them to handle Rielly\u2019s full $7.5 million cap hit.<\/p>\n

Acquiring the 31-year-old won\u2019t come at much of a cost, and although the goal is to get younger, the Canucks will still need some veterans to lead the charge along the way. Rielly would very likely be open to waiving his no-movement clause for Vancouver, allowing all the obstacles to be overcome and the dots to connect on a potential fit.<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh Penguins<\/p>\n

Another team that will always be circled when it comes to Rielly is the Pittsburgh Penguins. Former GM Kyle Dubas, who signed him to that eight-year, $60 million extension in 2021, of course, now runs the show in the Steel City, creating an obvious link to the Pens.<\/p>\n

Cap space isn\u2019t even close to being an issue now\u2014or in the offseason, when they\u2019re slated to have over $50 million to play with. What is a weakness, however, is the left side of their blue line. Parker Wotherspoon<\/a> has been an unbelievable surprise handling top-pairing duties alongside Erik Karlsson<\/a>, but beyond him are pending UFAs Brett Kulak<\/a> and Ryan Shea<\/a>, as well as the anchor of a contract that is Ryan Graves<\/a> ($4.5 million). There\u2019s no doubt Rielly could be a welcome addition to the defensive corps.<\/p>\n

\"WouldMorgan Rielly Maple Leafs<\/p>\n

Dubas has also accumulated a stockpile of draft picks he could use to land the 2024 All-Star, though the price to pay shouldn\u2019t be groundbreaking anyway. Not only could Rielly\u2019s connection with Dubas persuade him to waive, but there\u2019s also the allure of joining future Hall of Famers Sidney Crosby<\/a>, Evgeni Malkin<\/a>, and Kris Letang<\/a>, who remain in pursuit of one final crack at a Stanley Cup<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Anaheim Ducks<\/p>\n

Lastly, instead of Northern California, how about Southern California and the Anaheim Ducks? Anaheim is on the upswing and has shown a willingness to take on veterans with big contracts whose teams are looking to move on, so there\u2019s no reason to think they wouldn\u2019t do the same with Rielly.<\/p>\n

Chris Kreider<\/a> and Jacob Trouba<\/a> were brought in via trade, along with Mikael Granlund<\/a>, Radko Gudas<\/a>, Alex Killorn<\/a>, and Ryan Strome<\/a> signed as free agents in recent years to surround their budding young core. Even after all those moves, they still possess plenty of cap space to absorb Rielly and his full $7.5 million. Both Gudas and Trouba are pending UFAs, while Pavel Mintyukov<\/a> also seems to be on the trade block\u2014someone Toronto could target in a return package\u2014so the need for a defenseman this year and beyond is real.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no concrete evidence to suggest Rielly would approve a trade to the Ducks, but it\u2019s not all that different from going to the Sharks, so who\u2019s to believe he would say no? A solid role, in a quieter, warm-weather market on an emerging team, doesn\u2019t sound all that bad for a player who\u2019s been in the hockey hotbed facing tremendous pressure his entire career.<\/p>\n

Next: Maple Leafs Insider Expects Rielly Trade to Sign Point-Per-Game Defenseman<\/a><\/p>\n

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