Barring a huge winning streak – and even that might not be enough in the Eastern Conference – the Toronto Maple Leafs appear poised to miss the playoffs for the first time in a decade.
As a result, the weeks and months leading up to the trade deadline could look very different for a fanbase accustomed to seeing its team go all-in to win. While general manager Brad Treliving isn’t ready to start the 2025-26 season, he may be ready to shake up the roster in some other way, and one name often mentioned in an outgoing move to shake up the organization has become Morgan Rielly.
The trade chatter surrounding the longest-standing Maple Leaf is louder than ever, and unless Toronto heats up quickly, Rielly could find a new home sooner rather than later.
It’s hard to pinpoint many landing spots for him given his age and contract; However, Eklund’s NHL Trade and Free Agency Rumors believes that the Washington Capitals are a team that should show interest in the veteran defenseman as they look to capitalize on the final window of Alex Ovechkin’s career.
Eklund wrote:
“Enter the Washington Capitals, a team walking the line between competing and restructuring around Alex Ovechkin’s final elite years. Washington has long been looking for a true puck-moving top-pair defenseman — someone who can drive transition, quarterback a power play and log heavy minutes against top competition. Rielly checks all those boxes… For Toronto, such a deal would be less about moving Rielly specifically and more about reshaping the roster — possibly regaining assets, cap flexibility, or NHL-ready depth For Washington, it would be a clear statement: maximize what’s left of the Ovechkin era and worry about the rest later.
In other words, Eklund argues that this may be the last chance for the Capitals to step up. Adding someone like Rielly could help.
Rielly scored 24 points (five goals, 19 assists) in 35 games this season. The 31-year-old is in year four of the eight-year, $60 million extension he signed with the Maple Leafs in 2021.
Does Washington make sense for Morgan Rielly?
While there is a connection to head coach Spencer Carbery, and the Capitals aren’t fully capped, the need for a player like Rielly just isn’t there.
The capitals boast the the second-most productive defensive corps in the NHLled by Jakob Chychrun and John Carlson. Add Matt Roy, Martin Fehervary, Rasmus Sandin and Trevor van Riemsdyk, and there simply isn’t room for Rielly to fit in.
There’s certainly a reason to look for an upgrade over Van Riemsdyk, but doing so with an aging, expensive, attacking defenseman — one who may not even see power plays — feels like an inefficient use of money and resources.
Ultimately, this just shows how difficult it will be for Treliving to actually move Rielly. There are few obvious solutions to what he brings to this stage of his career, and even if one comes to fruition, he is in control of his own destiny with full trade protection. In other words, fasten your seat belt: this conversation is just beginning.
Next: Analyst calls Auston Matthews the Maple Leafs’ biggest problem
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