The Toronto Maple Leafs already shook up their roster once this offseason, shipping goaltender Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit to Philadelphia for Sam Ersson, Emil Andrae, and a 2026 third-round pick. But the biggest domino might still be waiting to fall.
Morgan Rielly, the longest-tenured Leafs defenseman and a first-round pick from 2012, could be the next man out — and he’s reportedly made it clear where he’d prefer to go.
Where Rielly Wants to Play
According to Maple Leafs beat reporter Jonas Siegel of The Athletic, Rielly has submitted a trade list through his agent, J.P. Barry, and it leans heavily toward the Western Conference. The 32-year-old carries a full no-move clause, meaning he controls his own fate. But Siegel adds there’s some flexibility, writing:
“My understanding is that most of those teams are all in the Western Conference, but there’s also a sense that there could be flexibility as talks evolve. For instance, if Leafs GM John Chayka comes back to Barry with a team that’s not on the list but that made a decent trade offer, it doesn’t necessarily mean that’s a ‘no.’”
The San Jose Sharks, per Siegel, make sense as a possible destination. However, he notes the Vancouver Canucks are not believed to be on Rielly’s approved list.
What Toronto Would Be Losing
Rielly has spent his entire 951-game career in blue and white, racking up 98 goals and 451 assists. His $7.5 million cap hit runs for several more seasons, but with the Leafs already retooling under new GM John Chayka, a change of scenery could benefit both sides.
It’s not a done deal — nothing is until the phone rings with an offer that moves the needle — but the smoke around Rielly is getting thicker by the day. For a player who’s given his prime years to Toronto, a move out west might be exactly what the next chapter calls for.
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