Morgan Rielly is the longest-tenured member of the Toronto Maple Leafs and has been a great ambassador for the franchise during his career. Rielly is an active leader in the locker room and the larger civic community. Rielly was the leader of Toronto’s blue line for the better part of a decade, and was a core member of the team. It’s what makes his precipitous decline so difficult to write about.
Rielly’s form fell off a cliff during the 2025-26 campaign, prompting the idea that the Maple Leafs will discuss a potential trade this summer. The veteran defenceman doesn’t want to leave Toronto but it may be the interest of all parties for a new change of scenery. After missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade, the Maple Leafs are expected to re-tool, which could include Rielly’s departure.
“It’s a challenging thing to answer when those conversations haven’t happened yet,” Rielly said on April 16 during the Maple Leafs’ end-of-year media availabilities. “But, you know, after a year like this, after any year, but especially one like this, as an athlete, you have to be prepared for that. You know, it’s not the first time that it’s crossed my mind.”
How the year went
Rielly began the year in terrific form. He was the best player by a wide margin during a 5-2 opening night victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Rielly followed up with two assists during a 6-3 loss to the Detroit Red Wings on October 11, and it briefly appeared to be a vintage offensive year from Rielly. This represented the high point of Rielly’s campaign, as he finished with 11 goals and 36 points in 78 games, his worst offensive output since the 2020-21 campaign. Rielly started November on a six-game point streak, but from there onwards, he was a net liability for the Maple Leafs. Rielly’s offensive decline perhaps buries the lede.
It’s perhaps the function of age-related decline, but Rielly was one of the NHL’s least impactful defenders this season. Toronto descended into the NHL’s worst defensive team under Craig Berube’s supervision, and Rielly’s poor performance may be emblematic of the group’s dreadful year overall. Rielly was terrible off the rush, allowing oncoming attackers far too much time and space to attack and create. During stationery 5-on-5 scenarios, Rielly would often get stuck behind the play, or get lost in coverage, often the function of poor communication with partner Brandon Carlo. It’s possible Rielly could thrive against bottom-pair competition, but he’s no longer suited for a permanent top-four role, without real insulation.
Statistical profile
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Category
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Production
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NHL rank
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Expected goals percentage
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49.24%
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355th
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Goal differential
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-11
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429th
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Corsi
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48.25%
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T-408th
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Expected goals for per 60
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2.76
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T-224th
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Expected goals against per 60
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2.85
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T-163
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All stats on 5-on-5 via Natural Stat Trick, among all players with 400 minutes or greater.
Rielly’s statistical profile may actually point to some relative positives. Although the Maple Leafs lost his minutes, it wasn’t necessarily to the degree that some stated. Rielly functioned as a sub-par No. 4 option, rather than the replacement-level option he was billed as by many. A lot of the redeeming qualities come from his offence, where Rielly can still get shots from the middle of the ice.
This table doesn’t paint the full picture. Rielly was on the ice for 78 goals at 5-on-5, the second-most in the NHL. One of the enduring pictures of the 2025-26 Maple Leafs campaign is Rielly fishing the puck out of the net, after getting beat off the rush. Rielly could be a useful veteran presence for a young, emerging team like the San Jose Sharks. He’s no longer capable of playing anywhere close to top-pair minutes, as he struggles against faster, more skillful forwards. There’s only so much his hockey intelligence can account for, and if he remains with the Maple Leafs, they will have to significantly shelter his usage in 2026-27.
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