If the Toronto Maple Leafs were hoping to trade defenseman Morgan Rielly this offseason, that challenge just got a lot more difficult. Rielly spoke about his desire to stay with the team and his loyalty to the franchise, ultimately hinting that he’s not about to waive his no-move clause.
“My desire to stay in Toronto is always going to be there,” Rielly said during a one-on-one interview. “There’s a number of (reasons), but a big one is loyalty. Loyalty to the team that drafted you, I think that’s a powerful thing.”
Rielly has a full no-move clause that lasts through the final four seasons of his current $7.5 million-per-season deal. Some wondered if he might be open to a change of scenery, given the team’s struggles this season and its failure to make the playoffs. There will be summer moves, and critics believe his departure should be among them.
Even if he’s willing to think about it, don’t hold your breath.
When asked if he would waive his no-trade if requested by the organization, Rielly responded that he wasn’t prepared to answer the question right now. He gave it more thought once he understood why the team might want to change things up. “You know it’s a possibility,” Rielly, 32, admits. “Obviously, that’s a thing that as a player, you have to prepare for.”
To be clear, Rielly says he hasn’t been asked. But he understands the environment and narrative that surrounds the team this summer. “This isn’t the first time it’s crossed my mind,” Rielly said. “You think about that at the end of every year, almost.”
Rielly is Focused on Next Season and the Maple Leafs
But, his focus is on staying with the team and rebounding from a down season. When asked if he’s thinking about ways he can be better next year if he’s still a Maple Leaf. “Always,” he said. “Even early on at the end of the offseason, you’re thinking about what you might change moving forward or what you may change next summer, things like that.”
And, if he wants to stay, there’s not much the Leafs can do. Joshua Kloke of The Athletic writes, “Buying out Rielly would keep his cap hit on the team’s books for the next eight seasons: $3.5 million for the first four and then $2 million for the four seasons afterward. Hardly a prudent move, financially.”
They also can’t make him waive his no-trade, and they aren’t about to stick him in the press box until he caves.
Next: 3 Rants About the Maple Leafs’ 4-0 Dumpster Fire
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