Great Move by Toronto Maple Leafs to Extend Morgan Rielly

The Toronto Maple Leafs have locked up one of their five franchise players to a long term contract extension.

The Toronto Maple Leafs best defenseman, and potentially the best defenseman in franchise history, have agreed to an eight year contract extension with a cap hit of $7.5 million dollars annually.

The two best defenseman in the NHL – Cale Makar and Dougie Hamilton – each make $9 million on deals that already started. To get Rielly for $7.5 seems like decent value, if not an outright bargain.

The critics will come out to complain about this, but cynics are annoying – the Leafs just locked up their team leader, and one of their best players, there by extending their window and keeping a fan favorite on the team.

This is a great day for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and takes Kyle Dubas one step closer to being the best GM in the history of the team.

Toronto Maple Leafs and Morgan Rielly

Drafted 5th overall in 2012, Rielly has met and exceeded every expectation of his career.  He is one of the NHL’s best blueliners, and though he’s a little wonky defensively , he drives play and racks up points with the best of them.

This deal puts Rielly at the 19th highest paid contract for a defenseman (20th because Seth Jones hasn’t kicked in yet either) and so clearly that is pretty good because Rielly is easily in the NHL’s top 20 defenseman.

Rielly is going to be 28 when the contract kicks in, and it will take him through most of the rest of his career.  The Leafs signed a 31 year old Muzzin through age 36 for almost six million, so comparatively,  considering this gives the Leafs three extra prime years, and since the cap will be higher by the time Rielly is that age, his contract is less risky than Muzzin’s.

Ultimately, I don’t care too much about Cap Hit or Term: the Toronto Maple Leafs signed one of their best and most important players to a contract that will keep him with the team for his whole career.

That is something worth celebrating, and I believe it will pay off in the form of multiple Stanley Cups.  Of course, the Leafs are now going to have to find money for Jack Campbell and Rasmus Sandin, but let’s leave that for another day.

The Leafs have locked up a franchise cornerstone and I find it hard to think of even one negative thing to say about it.   Oh, and added bonus: Managers with short ropes on the verge of being let go don’t sign players to eight year deals, so not only is this keep Morgan Rielly in town, it’s also an indication that Brendan Shanahan and Kyle Dubas are here long term too, which is even better news.