Is Morgan Rielly’s Maple Leafs Exit a Matter of ‘When,’ Not ‘If’?

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.