Morgan Rielly delivers final statement on Maple Leafs trade rumors

Morgan Rielly firmly put any trade rumors to bed as he mentioned how dedicated he is to Toronto, and how badly he wants to win with the Maple Leafs.

For months, the Maple Leafs headlines were dominated by the question of whether or not Morgan Rielly would be traded away. The longest-tenured member of the blue and white, Rielly had seen a steep regression over the past two seasons, with concerns that he may be headed for a free fall.

However no trade materialized despite Rielly giving the Maple Leafs a list of desired destinations, and Jim Hiller is looking to make sure that he is given every opportunity to shine.

Rielly affirms his future is going to be with the Maple Leafs

But there are still questions about Rielly's future with the team, though he did his absolute best to bury them before the season opens up. Speaking to the media after practice on Monday, Rielly reiterated his dedication and commitment to the Maple Leafs:

It's not a deep answer or anything. I just love this team. Whatever the downs are, the challenges, I think the opportunity and the ups outweigh them. I feel very fortunate to be a Maple Leaf and I want to continue that for as long as I can.

I'm extremely happy and grateful to be here now. This is my home. This is the team that I love and would do anything for. So, I feel very grateful to be here and just really excited to get going.

While you may see Rielly's game as a detriment at times, you cannot argue that his love and passion for the team regardless of circumstance has always shone through. He's truly the epitome of a team player, and he deserves a lot of credit for sticking through some really rough times.

Morgan Rielly can still be an effective player for Toronto

Despite all odds and chatter otherwise, Rielly is going to be part of Toronto's defense this season, and he can easily make things better for himself and the Maple Leafs. Let's not forget Rielly is only two seasons removed from a 58-point year, and Craig Berube's system did no one any favors.

Alongside Raddysh, he has at least a solid defender who can cover for him in his own end at times, but more importantly be an offensive distributor. For years, it was pretty much Rielly on his own, and with less responsibility and pressure to succeed, he could focus on his strengths.

He has 549 points in 951 games including 451 assists so it isn't like Rielly's been a failure in Toronto, he's just had to do everything. While you can't expect Rielly to suddenly reach the 70-point mark again, if he and Raddysh can combine for 100 points - that's a massive improvement over the last decade.

It's been a long, hard road for Morgan Rielly in his time with the Maple Leafs but he's never wavered in his belief in the team and he just put a stamp on any concerns about his future. He's here to play for Toronto, and finally bring them the championship they've been begging for.

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