According to Chris Johnston, the Maple Leafs may find it tough to re-sign Rielly due to the huge contracts signed by numerous noteworthy NHL defensemen this summer.
We've seen several defenseman pay huge cheques in the previous several months, including Dougie Hamilton, Seth Jones, Zach Werenski, and even Cale Makar.
On their new contracts, each of those players will have a cap charge of more over $9 million per season, and we're sure Rielly is hoping to cash in. Johnston thinks Rielly's next contract will be less than $8 million per season, which is a significant financial commitment for Toronto.
«After that, who knows?», asks Traikos. «Maybe it's Ilya Mikheyev or Jack Campbell. Or someone even more important, like William Nylander.»
Imagine if Toronto is unable to get past the first round of the playoffs once more! You'll need to prepare for a lot of changes, not only on the roster!
Credit: HF
Will the Leafs be better with or without Rielly?
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