As Toronto seeks a roster shakeup, a veteran blueliner could find a second life in Winnipeg, providing the Jets with offensive depth and much-needed postseason experience.
Two of the NHL's most motivated franchises heading into the off-season share something in common beyond their disappointment in the Winnipeg Jets and the Toronto Maple Leafs having both missed the playoffs this past year and are determined to return to contention in a hurry. The paths they take this summer to get there could, at least in one scenario, run directly through each other.
The draft lottery shook out quite differently for the two clubs, with Toronto landing the first overall pick while Winnipeg settled in at eighth. But lottery luck aside, both organizations have work to do on their rosters, and according to Sportsnet's Ryan Dixon, there may be a fit between the two sides centered on Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly.
Toronto is motivated to move Rielly's $7.5 million cap hit, which comes attached to a full no-move clause running for the next four seasons. That combination of term, money and limited team control makes any deal complicated, but the Maple Leafs' desire to reshape their roster gives them reason to be flexible.
Getting Rielly to waive his no-move clause will likely require a destination he finds appealing, and Winnipeg could represent exactly that. The Jets have been to the playoffs more consistently in recent years, winning four playoff rounds over the last nine seasons compared to Toronto's two series wins since 2006, giving Rielly a genuine shot at deeper postseason runs than he has experienced in his career.
The 32-year-old has been a productive offensive defender for much of his career, regularly hovering in the 60 to 70 point range at his peak. This past season he finished with 36 points in 78 games, reflecting a regression that has settled him into the 40-plus point tier at this stage of his career.
For Winnipeg, that kind of production from a third-pairing addition would be acceptable depth behind a top four that is already fairly well established. Josh Morrissey leads the group, with Neal Pionk, Dylan Samberg and Dylan DeMelo rounding out a defensive core the Jets are comfortable building around. Rielly would not be arriving to anchor anything, but as a veteran presence on the third pair following the trade of Logan Stanley, he fills a real need.
The cap dynamics will be the defining factor in whether this gets done. Winnipeg enters the off-season with room to work but faces a meaningful list of priorities before spending on outside additions.
Re-signing Cole Perfetti, Isak Rosen and Jonathan Toews will consume a significant portion of their available space, and the Jets are also eager to address the bottom of their lineup through free agency. Taking on Rielly's full $7.5 million is a significant ask given those competing demands.
The most realistic version of this deal likely involves Toronto retaining a portion of the salary, which would bring the cap hit to a more digestible number for Winnipeg.
In return, the Jets may not need to surrender much, potentially only a second or third round pick depending on how much the Leafs are willing to eat. For Toronto, clearing the contract and getting a draft asset back would represent progress on a roster overhaul that appears to be in full swing.
None of this is a certainty as Winnipeg is not desperate for a veteran defenseman and will only pull the trigger if the price is right. But the conditions for a deal to make sense exist on both sides, and when that is the case in the NHL, trades have a way of getting done.
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