A one-for-one trade with Vancouver sends Morgan Rielly home and fixes the Maple Leafs' biggest problem

As the Toronto Maple Leafs navigate a new era with a new head coach in tow after the firing of Craig Berube, things now turn to the roster construction or rather deconstruction. We know that several names have been floated around and if Chayka wants to make a splash he certainly has his options.

The one of the top names who has been thrown about in trade rumours is Morgan Rielly. The long-time defender has bee subjected to a lot of speculation and with the team looking to make several changes this summer it's inevitable that his name would be brought up.

It may be a little difficult trading him given his fairly large contract and declining offensive production though there is a world where someone wants him - and it could be his home province coming after him.

The Vancouver Canucks are in need of a puck-moving veteran defender and Rielly fits the bill perfectly, meanwhile the news that Filip Hronek is on the trade block makes things line up to be a pretty solid one-for-one swap.

Taking a look at the logistics, both men make a fair bit of money and Toronto isn't really saving much by acquiring Hronek but it's about the type of player that he is compared to Rielly that makes this deal worth it.

Hronek, 28, gives Toronto a right-handed puck-mover who also actually plays defence. Not for nothing, but Rielly was a really awful defender and at least Hronek is way more physical and aggressive in his own zone; a trait Rielly sorely lacked.

This year he posted 49 points in 82 games and actually had a plus-41 rating the past two seasons before the Canucks completely imploded this year. He would at least give Toronto a much better power-play contributor and he's a minutes eater as well; it's too perfect.

Rielly is likely out the door and while he does hold a lot of leverage, heading back to his home is a very appealing scenario especially if he's being shoved out the door. If Toronto can say 'Look, we are trading you, but we're making sure you're happy' then it's going to make the split not only more tenable - but potentially easier.

You could have Jake McCabe on the top pair alongside Hronek to make the defensive side even stronger, and you'd actually have two above average guys willing to throw themselves in front of the goalies.

Well, in a video game they might but it may take a little bit more than Rielly to get this done. For all intents and purposes, Hronek was a better player this year, makes less money, and also is younger.

But perhaps the Canucks would like to take on Toronto's 2026 2nd round pick they acquired in the Scott Laughton trade. A rebuilding Vancouver side can use every pick possible, and give them 11 picks in 2026.

A 2nd would give them three selections in that round alone, and if they wanted to even package that alongside some other picks and move up in the draft they are more than capable of doing so.

With the Sedin Brothers looking to make a big splash potentially as part of a revamped Canucks front office, Hronek and new GM Ryan Johnson (announcement pending) will have a perfect chance to make the changes necessary.

Not only that, but they would be getting a player who has been through it all in Rielly, someone who can still contribute despite his defensive shortcomings and is really a solid mentor for the young Canucks blueliners; and a playoff veteran to boot.

So whether or not this leads to the Vancouver Canucks trading for Morgan Rielly in exchange for Filip Hronek is still debatable.

But you can't argue that it doesn't at least work for both sides at the end of the day.

Also read on Hockey Patrol :
Manny Malhotra has emerged as the new Maple Leafs coaching frontrunner