The chances of the Toronto Maple Leafs and their longest-serving player, defenseman Morgan Rielly, parting ways are growing. With news that Rielly and his agent have submitted a list of four teams that he would be willing to waive his no-movement clause for, speculation has started on which cities he would consider. Initial reports suggest all four teams are from the Western Conference, closer to British Columbia, where he grew up.
A fascinating destination would see the Maple Leafs' defenseman reunite with his former coach.
Why Rielly to Oilers Makes Sense
Sportsnet's hockey panel of Nick Kypreos, Justin Bourne, and Sam McKee speculated on which teams might be on Rielly's list during a recent episode of Real Kyper and Bourne.
Kypreos started things off by suggesting the San Jose Sharks as a possible destination. The up-and-coming Sharks, led by young superstar Macklin Celebrini, narrowly missed the playoffs in 2025-26 and are entering a likely long window of contention.
The host's next prospective city was Edmonton. There, Kypreos noted, Rielly would have the chance to rejuvenate his career with a coach, the recently hired Mike Babcock, who knows him well. D.J. Smith, a former Leafs' assistant coach, is also there. Plus, playing with the Oilers would allow Rielly the opportunity to play with superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Bourne, who spent some time with the Maple Leafs organization in the early part of Babcock's tenure in Toronto, added that, "Babs loves him, Babs always liked him." The trio agreed that many connections to Edmonton make it a potential trade partner.
Kypreos ruled out the Seattle Kraken, despite being close to Rielly's Vancouver birthplace, since they are too far away from contention. Despite also being years away from contending, he didn't rule out the Canucks being on Rielly's list because of their hometown allure.
While there are components that make sense in linking Rielly to the Oilers, Edmonton would need to find a spot to move Darnell Nurse for salary cap purposes before acquiring Rielly. Speculation is mixed on whether Chayka and the Leafs have interest in Nurse.
Rielly joining his former bench boss in Edmonton is an intriguing idea, but a fit between the Oilers and Maple Leafs seems unlikely.
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