Morgan Rielly has been involved in Toronto Maple Leafs trade rumors for three seasons now, and recent comments from Auston Matthews are eye-opening.
Ten years ago, Auston Matthews scored four goals in his NHL debut with the Toronto Maple Leafs. It is a milestone that was simply unheard of at the time, and fans remember it fondly.
In an interview with Sportsnet, Matthews was asked about his celebrations with Morgan Rielly, who was relatively young when Matthews made his debut.
This led to a lengthy response in which Auston explained just how much he loves Rielly as both a player and as a friend.
I remember that moment with Mo, because, I mean, he's always been my guy, but especially my first year, my first couple years, we spent so much time together and I feel like he just kind of took me under his wing, he took such good care of me, especially in my first couple years, just trying to find your footing and just get acquainted with life in the NHL as a teenager and as a kid. So, that was a really special moment, too, just because he's one of my closest friends today but I knew back then how close we already were, so [to have] that moment, it was obviously really special.
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These comments were strong and evoked emotion. Given the rumors surrounding Rielly, they hit that much harder.
That said, one fan on X seems to believe that Matthews' love for Rielly could be a big reason why the Leafs have yet to actually trade him.
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It is certainly an interesting theory, although it ignores one important point that does explain Rielly's predicament.
Why hasn't Morgan Rielly been traded?
Morgan Rielly has a no-movement clause, and he has been adamant about not wanting to waive it, regardless of the Leafs' numerous requests.
Under Brad Treliving, Rielly would not waive it. This summer, he had more conversations with John Chayka, and in the end, he stuck around with the Leafs.
At this time, it just feels unlikely that Rielly will be traded, unless something truly drastic takes place.
Do you believe Auston Matthews is keeping Morgan Rielly in Toronto?
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