Recent reports that Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly and his agent have submitted a list of teams in which he would waive his no-movement clause have amped up speculation that a move might be imminent.
While the longest-serving Maple Leaf seems more resigned to the fact that it might be best for a fresh start elsewhere, there are many obstacles to overcome for a trade to happen.
Rielly submitting some destinations, albeit a limited group of four from the Western Conference, is an opening for Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka to make a deal; however, other hurdles could drag out the process.
Nick Kypreos Breaks Down the Reality of a Morgan Rielly Trade
During an episode of Real Kyper and Bourne, Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne, and Sam McKee were discussing Rielly's trade situation, when the host pondered, "Can the Leafs hold onto a million, million and a half and still get a fifth or sixth-round pick?"
Both Bourne and McKee were shocked at the idea of so little coming back to Toronto for Rielly. Kypreos stated, "I do not get a sense there is a strong market out there for him." McKee wondered if the Edmonton Oilers and defenseman Darnell Nurse (with an AAV of $9.25 million) would draw a similar return in a trade.
"I do not get a sense there is a strong market out there for him."Nick Kypreos on Morgan Rielly
Kypreos countered that Nurse plays hard and brings toughness. Bourne questioned whether Rielly would be willing to be "a seventeen-minute-a-night guy", playing down the lineup. Neither he nor McKee liked the idea of the Maple Leafs retaining salary if a trade was consummated, especially with a rising NHL salary cap making Rielly's $7.5 million AAV more palatable.
Retaining salary might test how badly Chayka wants to move on from Rielly. The Leafs' defenseman has struggled for the past two seasons and is locked into a long-term deal at a high cap hit for teams that may view him as third or fourth on their depth chart. The Maple Leafs are also in a position of weakness since the rest of the league is aware of their apparent desire to trade Rielly.
Navigating this soft trade market will serve as the ultimate litmus test for Chayka. The Maple Leafs' general manager has already radically reshaped a defensive corps that drastically underperformed last season.
If Chayka is as determined to move on from Rielly as rumors suggest, he will have to decide whether he is willing to stomach a costly cap-retention deal and a middling draft asset to unburden the roster. Chayka's final choice will signal exactly how aggressive, or desperate, he is to reinvent Toronto's blue line.
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