The new GM’s first trade has already been decided for him
Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Whoever is the new GM of the Maple Leafs already has their first trade to work out and it involves making sure Morgan Rielly is on the way out.
As the Maple Leafs work towards finding a new leader to head their front office, they are quickly narrowing down the names who could be the face who turns the franchise from pretender to contender.
While there's no decision coming as of yet, all signs point to one very soon and if the team goes in a direction where they hire a first-time GM, that's going to come with a lot of expectations — most notably how he can end up changing the lineup.
The first step the new management team needs to focus on is getting rid of Morgan Rielly
There's a boatload of players who could be on the way out, and a roster overhaul seems to be something that's almost as important as bringing in the front office to begin with.
But whoever comes in be it Mike Gillis, Evan Gold, Ryan Martin, Mats Sundin, or the reanimated corpse of Pat Quinn; they have one job that takes priority over any.
No it's not hiring a coach, and no it's not making sure Auston Matthews is satisfied.
It's getting Morgan Rielly as far away from the team as humanly possible.
For all intents and purposes, Rielly should have been gone a couple of years ago and once the first sign of regression was there, the team shouldn't have hesitated to move him with at least some decent stock behind him.
But he's been terrible defensively, looked slower each year, isn't that offensive needle-mover at 5v5 or on the power-play, and his $7.5-million deal is not a contract that is easily movable nor is it one that is anywhere near his true value.
Rielly, 31, only had 36 points in 78 games — his lowest total since 2020-21 where he played in 20 fewer games but he still had 35 points in 55 games.
At $7.5-million he's not giving the team anywhere near the offence he should be, and his combined minus-26 rating over the past two seasons show that things are only getting worse.
By the way, he's still got five years left too. So you're looking at a potentially 36-year-old Rielly making nearly $8-million with no sign of getting out of this regressive state.
So if he's not playing in Toronto, where could he go?
Well there's a lot of talk about him heading out west and honestly, if you're trying to get him away from the team as far as possible then that's a pretty good idea.
San Jose has been the one destination that has consistently come up in Rielly talks and it makes a lot of sense. They are going to need to have some type of stability on the back end next season, and they have more than enough cap space to pay him.
Plus, he'd be closer to BC where he's from, so being closer to extended family is also a huge motivating factor. That, and San Jose is more than talented enough to cover for his mistakes.
And the team actually holds some pieces Toronto could use like Collin Graf or Mattias Havelid, and the Sharks have been arguably the most reliable and consistent trading partner the team has had recently.
There's also some outlier teams like Vancouver or Chicago who might be willing to take on the money, but all signs are pointing to San Jose; and he would be a very good complement in the second or third pair.
You want someone reliable and stable? Get Morgan Rielly. But don't expect him to run your offence or move the needle in any effective way.
He's there to be a mentor, an anchor on the blueline, and someone who needs to get away from the Maple Leafs if they want any hope of succeeding anytime soon.
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
An unspoken Auston Matthews durability pattern forces the new Toronto GM to completely rethink the roster
An unspoken Auston Matthews durability pattern forces the new Toronto GM to completely rethink the roster
Previously on Hockey Patrol