Potential Morgan Rielly Replacements Emerge if Leafs Fall Short in Playoffs

The 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs are about as critical as it gets for the Toronto Maple Leafs, who were ousted last year by the divisional foe Boston Bruins in a heartbreaking 7-game series.

The sight of David Pastrnak's backhand shot over the pads of the sprawling now-former Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov continues to haunt the dreams of Toronto fans, who had to experience the 4th Game 7 loss at TD Garden since 2013.

The home of the Bruins has been nothing short of a house of horrors for the Leafs beyond the regular season.

Right now, Mitch Marner and John Tavares don't have contracts for next year, and one or even both could potentially be playing elsewhere at this point in 2026 - especially if Toronto falters early.

But what are the chances that the Leafs could decide to make a major change on the blue line?

The following players were listed as potential replacements for long-tenured defenseman and assistant captain Morgan Rielly if general manager Brad Treliving was forced to make the uncomfortable choice of having to move on from him.

It's a wide array of players that the Maple Leafs could go after, and while each of them offer a great slew of benefits, the amount of money it's going to cost names like Karlsson, Ekblad, and Parayko are going to cost a ton in assets, money, or both, but it's necessary if Toronto wants to move on.

Rielly is under contract through 2029; in 2022, he agreed to an 8-year, $60 million extension with an AAV (average annual value) of $7.5 million.

He's spent his entire career with the Maple Leafs, who took him 5th overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. This year, he has 33 points (7G, 26A) in 66 games, but also has a concerning plus/minus rating of -20.

In 857 career NHL games, Rielly has 505 points (87G, 418A) and is -35.