Morgan Rielly is entering his 14th season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the trade speculation around him hasn't slowed down one bit.
On Wednesday night, Rielly showed up at the Hockey Night in Brampton charity event, and it was obvious how much staying in Toronto still means to him.
Thirteen years in the same market is rare for any NHL player, let alone one in a city as volatile as Toronto.
Even with all that noise, the Maple Leafs look ready to open the season with Rielly on the top pairing next to newcomer Darren Raddysh.
That pairing changes his role. Raddysh now carries the label of highest-paid blueliner, pushing Rielly further into the background than he's been since Toronto drafted him in 2012.
Last season wasn't pretty by his standards. Rielly finished with 11 goals, his second-highest total ever, and 36 points across 78 games at a minus-18 rating.
Why a bounce-back season decides Rielly's next move
General manager John Chayka is watching closely. Get Rielly closer to his 2023-24 form, when he posted 58 points in 72 games, and his trade value jumps fast.
That's the real fork in the road here. A big season either convinces Toronto to keep him, or it makes him easier to move for actual cap relief.
John Chayka is still working the phones on this one. He's listening on offers for Rielly, and any chance to improve this roster isn't something a rebuilding front office can just ignore.
Rielly still has three years left on a deal that carries a $7,500,000 cap hit, the kind of number that scares off plenty of cap-strapped contenders as is.
If Edmonton could find a taker for Darnell Nurse's contract, there's no reason Chayka can't do the same eventually, especially with the cap still climbing.
A 40 to 50 point season protects him either way, keeping his name valuable enough for a real Cup contender if Toronto decides it's time to move on.
Whether Rielly plays out his whole career in Toronto or ends up somewhere else by the trade deadline still comes down to how he looks over these next few months.
Should the Maple Leafs commit to Morgan Rielly for the long term or trade him this season?
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