Why Trading Morgan Rielly Makes Sense

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been at the center of many trade rumors in spite of their salary cap issues. Additionally, the cap allocation of their top forwards has been heavily criticized by fans and media members. There have not been specific rumors about Morgan Rielly, but these circumstances indicate that he is not untouchable.

Auston Matthews and John Tavares are untouchable because of the no-movement clauses in their contracts. However, William Nylander and Mitch Marner do not share the same privileges. With the Maple Leafs' high offensive spending, they have been at the forefront of the team's solutions.

Jonas Siegel of The Athletic raises an interesting reason about why Morgan Rielly can, and maybe should, be traded. Firstly, Rielly has a modified no-trade clause that only prevents him from being moved to certain teams. Secondly, he is a phenomenal player who has been an integral member of the team for quite some time. In fact, he's the only member of the team who played in the Maple Leafs' dark era, where they qualified for the playoffs just once in eleven seasons. 

Despite his veteran status, he has just two years left on his contract with a cap hit of $5 million. After this contract, he will certainly require a pay raise, but the Maple Leafs may not be able to afford it. Rielly will command a significant amount of high end prospects and draft picks, which could benefit the team long term. 

There may not be any urgency to get this done, but trading Morgan Rielly can make sense if they can not afford to sign him after his current contract. 

Photographer: Gerry Angus/Icon Sportswire