The trade winds are finally starting to blow across the NHL. With a week to go until Thanksgiving, general managers have seen enough action to determine if their roster needs a shakeup.
Caught in the middle of these discussions are the Toronto Maple Leafs, who are mired in a disappointing and now injury-plagued first 20 games of the season.
That’s why it’s become common knowledge that Brad Treliving wants to make changes, and while we all know who’s off limits in Toronto, TSN insider Chris Johnston revealed who is up for grabs as his latest trade board included defenders Brandon Carlo And Morgan Rielly.
He provided these details about the two Maple Leafs’ blue-liners:
“Carlo, who was traded from Boston to Toronto before last year’s deadline, is among a small handful of players who could bring value back to the struggling Leafs in a shake-up deal. Of course, they would also immediately be looking for another solid defenseman to patrol the right side if they choose to go that route.”
He added:
“The longest-serving member of the Maple Leafs has a move-on clause and no apparent desire for a change of scenery. However, a tough start to the season in Toronto has left management looking at all options. Rielly had a heart-to-heart with GM Brad Treliving in May and responded with a great summer, but the team is still looking for the right mix on its blue line,” Johnston said of Rielly.
Carlo, 28, is in season five of the six-year, $24.6 million extension he signed with the Bruins in 2021, while Rielly, 31, is in year four of the eight-year, $60 million extension he signed with the Maple Leafs in 2021.
Rielly no longer untouchable?
While it’s understandable that Carlo is in trouble, given his struggle to find a job in Toronto, Rielly’s name appearing on trade boards is very interesting.
The 2012 fifth overall pick is seen as part of the Maple Leafs’ core and is untouchable in trade talks. That appears to have changed, though, as first it was Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman who didn’t list Rielly as untouchable on Monday, and now Johnston has the veteran at No. 25 on his November trade board.
Moving Rielly will be extremely difficult for Treliving to pull off, especially as he wants to get back a top-class defender in return, which seems unlikely as teams with interest in Rielly likely won’t want to part with that.
If something of this magnitude goes down, it’s either because the Maple Leafs’ season continues to deteriorate, or because they find a way to get creative and shock the hockey world with a blockbuster that no one saw coming.
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