Recent reports reveal that GM John Chayka and the Toronto Maple Leafs' brass could be approaching defenseman Morgan Rielly after the 2026 World Championship regarding the status of his no-move clause.
A change of scenery may be on the way for Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly, as his name continues to surface in trade rumors.
Although many believe that it may be best for the Maple Leafs and Rielly to part ways, the 32-year-old has a no-move clause in his contract. Therefore, the player holds all the cards and gets the final say.
Rielly's no-move clause lasts for the rest of his contract, which sees him earn $7.5 million through the 2029-30 campaign.
TSN NHL insider Darren Dreger provided a report on Rielly's status with his no-move clause, where he currently stands, and what's to come in the next week.
On TSN's First Up show on Friday, Dreger pointed out that it won't be long until Leafs GM John Chayka and his group talk to Rielly about waiving his no-move clause to explore options around the league.
"The expectation… the Leafs are going to come to him at some point and open that door to the possibility of a trade," Dreger said.
He noted that the Maple Leafs will wait until Rielly has completed his 2026 World Championship campaign with Team Canada, with the tournament wrapping up on Sunday. But once the tournament is over and Rielly returns to Toronto, there's a sense that there will be a real conversation between the player and organization about his no-move clause.
"He has trade protection," Dreger addressed. "So if and when, and it's expected they will come to him, then the process kicks into another gear."
Dreger further speculated that if the Maple Leafs are so sure about approaching Rielly regarding his contract status and his clause, it could mean Chayka has received interest or offers involving Rielly.
"If you're coming to us, does that mean that there are teams that have expressed interest in Morgan at this point, and if so, who are those teams?" he reported. "And if those teams meet with the criteria that Morgan Rielly and his family have, maybe it can happen relatively quickly."
Regardless of how it plays out, whether Rielly goes along with waiving his no-move clause or not, it appears that the Maple Leafs will seek an answer in the not-so-distant future.
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