'There is no market for Morgan Rielly': Why his $30M contract and NMC make a trade almost impossible
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Nick Kypreos explained on the Real Kyper and Bourne Show that Morgan Rielly's market is invisible leaving no real way for Toronto to get rid of his contract however, there is a still a chance that he could be moved which would help kickstart their retool significantly.
Rielly's contract has been a talking point for years given that he's one of the harder deals to move thanks to a combination of price ($7.5-million), length (5 years remaining), age (31), and a consistent pattern of regression. If Keith Pelley and company want to do whatever's necessary to help the team, moving off that deal would be a great start.
This season has been one of his worst ones in recent memory, and as he continues to get older, that deal is going to look worse and worse. It's going to take a miracle to move that mountain, and according to Nick Kypreos -- they have no help either.
Kypreos reveals bare market for Rielly as deadline looms
Kypreos recently updated his trade board ahead of the deadline and in his piece regarding Oliver Ekman-Larsson, explained that there is no market for Rielly and moving him is essentially a non-factor:
There is no market for Morgan Rielly, and the Leafs have Jake McCabe on an affordable long-term deal.
It makes sense as to why teams would be so hesitant to take on Rielly and his deal. Right now, if you break things down he is owed $30-million over the next four years and even with an expanding cap, that's a lot of money for a regressing and aging defender.
No team really has the cap space to do it unless you're looking at a Chicago, Anaheim, Calgary, and even a Carolina but Rielly has full-trade protection, and while Anaheim and Carolina offer playoff potential, it's a matter of whether they wish to commit that much for so long.
Why moving Rielly is a high improbability, though not an impossibility
Contrast that to Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who is putting in a throwback performance while putting up as good offensive numbers as Rielly, with better defense. Remember, OEL was expected to be a 5/6 defender and Rielly was the #1, and with him doing as good a job at half the cost -- there's a reason a first-round pick has been floated around.
Ekman-Larsson has a 16-team no trade clause so it wouldn't be hard for Toronto to move him if they decide it's best for both parties, and unlike Rielly is only signed for two more years.
Then there's a very cheap gritty player in Simon Benoit who costs less than $1.5-million, and if Toronto is willing to retain salary then Brandon Carlo also becomes a much more appealing option though both are less offensively savvy than Rielly.
Plus with a young family, Rielly is likely not going to want to pack up and leave especially with a baby at home and asking him to go somewhere else feels like a decision reserved for this summer where the team has a better direction of where things are headed.
It's certainly not impossible, as Rielly has been linked to teams like San Jose and the trade deadline is prone to surprise fans every once in a while. But it's much easier said than done, as there are many other options Toronto has that would appeal to a broader demographic.
Also read on Hockey Patrol :
'Not That Day': Keith Pelley dismisses Maple Leafs fans after 'Whatever It Takes' promise
'Not That Day': Keith Pelley dismisses Maple Leafs fans after 'Whatever It Takes' promise
| POLL | ||
MARS 5|549 ANSWERS 'There is no market for Morgan Rielly': Why his $30M contract and NMC make a trade almost impossible Which defenseman do you think the Leafs should prioritize moving? | ||
| Morgan Rielly (Money) | 378 | 68.9 % |
| Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Value) | 96 | 17.5 % |
| Simon Benoit (Grit) | 35 | 6.4 % |
| Stand Pat (Do Nothing) | 40 | 7.3 % |
| List of polls | ||