Morgan Rielly would shut down any Toronto Maple Leafs trades involving him: report

To no one’s surprise, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be making some changes this summer.

Leafs general manager Brad Treliving met the media on Thursday, and spoke about his desire to shake up the roster after a second-round defeat to the Florida Panthers this year.

“There’s some DNA that needs to change in our team,” Treliving said in the most eye-catching quote of the day.

But what exactly is the expected change? That’s anyone’s best guess. Mitch Marner and John Tavares are both pending unrestricted free agents, while fellow star forwards Auston Matthews and William Nylander are locked up long-term.

One player who has seen his name discussed in potential trade talks for years is 31-year-old defenceman Morgan Rielly, who is signed at US$7.5 million per season through 2029-30.

Earlier this week, Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin floated Rielly as a possible trade candidate this summer.

“He’s lost a step but could still help a weaker team’s power play or middle pair if he played reduced minutes. Though Rielly has always insisted he likes competing in a pressure-packed market, his recent play suggests otherwise, and maybe he’d benefit from playing somewhere offering more anonymity,” Larkin wrote.

But the actuality of Rielly being on the move seems unlikely in the near future.

“Another core player is Morgan Rielly, the veteran defenceman on the Toronto Maple Leafs. People have wondered, could the Leafs go to him and ask him to waive his no-move to try to bring more DNA change? The answer is ‘no chance,’ from what we understand,” LeBrun reported.

Rielly, who was drafted fourth overall by the Leafs back in 2012, has spent his entire pro career in Toronto.

You might also like:
• Treliving reveals what the Toronto Maple Leafs need to get better at