The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to make major changes this offseason, following another early postseason exit at the hands of the eventual champions Florida Panthers.
General manager Brad Treliving addressed the team situation after the aforementioned elimination, saying that the Maple Leafs’ DNA must change.
That message didn’t fall on deaf ears, and a TSN panel of NHL analysts discussed one possible solution to get that change started, with Bryan Hayes and Frankie Corrado pointing to veteran defenseman Morgan Rielly as a logical trade piece if Toronto wants real change.
“That’s got to be Morgan Rielly, doesn’t it?” Hayes said on TSN's "OverDrive" on Monday. “Who else is going if you’re making a big, groundbreaking change?”
The TSN panel believes the timing is right to use him as a trade chip to reshape the blue line.
“This is the thing,” Frankie Corrado said. “If you’re going to upgrade on D, it’s because you’re making a seismic change for a true number-one guy.
"You can bring in a (third or even second defensive-pair player), but if you're going to make a change on D, I think you're looking for a true (first-pair) one, whatever you think that is."
Rielly, 31, has five years left on an eight-year, $60 million deal and a full no-trade clause (NTC), so any move would require his approval.
The Leafs already added Brandon Carlo via trade at the deadline after signing blueliner Chris Tanev last offseason. They have also handed out long-term deals to Jake McCabe and Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Corrado argued they don’t need more depth, but rather a top-notch defender to anchor the unit, which means Rielly may need to go.
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