NHL Rumors: Does Morgan Rielly Have a Future in Toronto? Would he be a Fit in Vancouver?

TSN: Mike Johnson on TSN 590 1st Up radio show on Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly and if he has a future with the team. If he is made available, and willing to waive his no-trade clause, would there be an interest from the Vancouver Canucks.

** NHLRumors.com transcription

Johnson: “…. And this is sort of like, I don’t, almost feel bad sort of bringing this up, but it’s sort of ruminating around in my head. And I’ve heard different people mention it, and sort of been out there. What’s Morgan Rielly’s future here?

Because Morgan Rielly has been such a good player and such a good representative of this team, such a good leader community, all of that, and he does have no-trade protection. And he is clearly established in Toronto, but I’ve heard different rumblings about whether or not he and he’s on the trade bait boards and whatever.

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You know, I’d be curious to see, what if he would definitively say, you know, would you ever ask guys to waive their own trade protections, or you would not do, because I’m wondering if that would be something that they would approach as well.”

Host: “Well, that’s, that’s an intriguing one, MJ. We saw Morgan struggle in big moments for the Maple Leafs. He’s been the longest serving Leaf. He’s been a stalwart for this team for so long, but maybe a change of scenery could be in order.

Obviously, he’s a Vancouver guy. I’ve heard a lot of people with buzz about obviously, Vancouver’s got problems of their own.

Johnson: “People fall in love with that, going back home, hey, don’t they? Like, just cause you’re from somewhere doesn’t mean you want to go there. Doesn’t mean they want you. Like, it’s not always the case.

Host: “No, I know, but you know, like Jimmy Rutherford looks like he could be in a trading kind of mood. He’s never been shy to be preemptive in, in rebuilding or remaking a team. If you know, he’s been pretty open about the fact that Quinn Hughes isn’t going to be there forever. Could you see a fit there somehow?

Johnson: “Well, they have lots of work to do. Most of it’s up front. But if they have to, if they’re acknowledging, if they are fully acknowledging, Quinn is leaving, which it feels like they kind of have. But maybe Adam Foote changes that dynamic. If he’s leaving no matter what, then you’re basically trading Quinn Hughes this year, or, I guess next year before the deadline.

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So you start making preparations to have players that could play when he’s gone. And Morgan Rielly is not anywhere near as good as Quinn Hughes, but he’s a left-shot offensive defenseman. Skates the puck well, he does a lot of stuff that use does well, just not as not as good. Then, yeah, like, maybe there is a fit there, and you can trade Hughes for the bounty of players you need and prospects. And then, you know, you have a Morgan Rielly there to still play and keep you competitive while those other players get integrated in your team.

Perhaps, perhaps, I just think, you know, it’s a lot to it’s a lot to ask Morgan Riley to waive. To work it out. Still lots of the term left on that contract.

Now, I will say this, Morgan Rielly did not play great this year, 100%. I think someone was health wise. Some of it was a system under Craig Berube. Some of his him trying to be diligent and responsible and, you know, do what the coaches asked.

But what did he have this year? 36 points, something like that. 38 points. I don’t even, it’s not in front of me. Now, he didn’t play on power play one. So give him 20 more power play points, and now he’s got 55, 58 points. That’s not terrible for a guy whose job it is to produce offense.

Morgan Rielly’s not shutdown defender, never has been, never will be. So I think you could look at him if you’re a different team, and say, ‘Okay, some of it might have been an off year. Some of it might be age. That’s what you’re concerned about, but some of it was deployment and usage. And on our team, he might do that differently.’

He goes to a team where they need someone who does that, where he get to play on the power play, you know, putting up 50, 55 points as a defenseman, not that shabby for the amount of money he makes. So maybe there is a bigger market there than you might think.

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But it just, it’s strange because he has never been part of the conversation about what changes need to make in Toronto. He’s sort of always, not been front and center in that. And then now, the no-trade protection. You really don’t mention it, because it doesn’t matter, because it doesn’t matter, because he gets to do what he wants to do. But I just heard it mentioned too many times that clearly somebody’s thinking about it, which it made me think about it.

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