The NHL is on a roster freeze with the Winter Olympics taking place, so let's have some fun with three hypothetical Morgan Rielly trades.
Defenseman Morgan Rielly has been a pillar on the team's blue-line since 2013. Always a fan favourite, he's been a part of the 18-wheeler that fell of a cliff but also the team that has gone through nine straight playoff appearances.
His defensive play is clearly an issue but he could still be a reliable second-pairing defenseman on a Stanley Cup winning roster. At his best, he's an elite skater and has shown that he can be close to a point-per-game player which is hard to find on the blue-line.
The Leafs could always use a puck-moving defenseman, which is supposed to be Rielly's best attribute, but both parties need a change. Currently in his 13th season in Toronto, the 31-year-old is under contract until 2030 but if the organization wants to retool, they could retrieve some great assets for his services.
As such, although it may be hard to pull off mid-season as Rielly has a no-move-clause, if he's willing to jump ship, here are three trades that could work.
San Jose Sharks
Toronto Maple Leafs acquire: Logan Couture, Jeff Skinner, 2026 second-round pick and 2027 first-round pick
San Jose Sharks acquire: Morgan Rielly
The Leafs are one of the few teams in the NHL who have bottomless pockets and can take on injured reserve money, which is why they would take on Couture's $8M contract for the next year. Couture is retired but is still staying under contract with the team until 2027.
As for the rest of the trade, the Sharks only have one defenseman under contract next year so they have a ton of cap-space to take Rielly. The veteran blue-liner would be a great piece to the Sharks young core. This trade works for the Leafs because they get to clear $7.5M in space, acquire two high-end draft picks and also get Jeff Skinner for the rest of the year, who's a pending UFA. The Toronto, ON native is only a few years removed from multiple 30-goal seasons, so he could fit with Auston Matthews
Vancouver Canucks
Toronto Maple Leafs acquire: Jake Debrusk
Vancouver Canucks acquire: Morgan Rielly
You don't see too many good-old hockey trades but here's one for you. If Rielly was ever going to waive his no-trade-clause, he may be willing to do it to return to his hometown of Vancouver. As for the Canucks, the team clearly needs a rebuild or retool themselves, so acquiring Rielly could help replace Quinn Hughes who they just traded.
The Leafs desperately need another top-six forward and Debrusk could be that future winger beside Matthews for years, so this trade is a perfect retool for both teams. Not only would Rielly be a good replacement for Hughes, but I could see a world where they name him captain too, which the Canucks fanbase would love.
Anaheim Ducks
Toronto Maple Leafs acquire: 2026 second-round pick and 2027 first-round pick
Anaheim Ducks acquire: Morgan Rielly
The Ducks only have $10M allotted to their blue-line next year, so the team could easily afford Rielly's $7.5M contract for the next few years and he could be a great fit beside the Rielly their young superstar Jackson LaCombe. The bright lights of Toronto may be too much for the 31-year-old too, so a change of pace in California may be a welcomed sight for Rielly.
Anaheim is a good young team who's in win-now mode, so they have a lot of draft picks they can use to trade. The Leafs need to add to their farm system immediately so picking up multiple draft-picks for Rielly would be great. You may think that two draft picks isn't a lot for Rielly, but gaining his $7.5M in cap-space is huge.