It’s been a relatively quiet summer in terms of player movement despite a higher salary cap. But the Toronto Maple Leafs still managed to give the NHL world something to think about after executing a sign-and-trade to send Mitch Marner to the Vegas Golden Knights.
That stunning move brought an end to the famed ‘Core Four’ era, but there were rumblings that the Leafs might not be done making tweaks to the roster just yet.
A divisive defenseman was strongly linked with a move away, but it appears that might be off the table for the time being after general manager Brad Treliving’s latest comments.
Maple Leafs GM Throws Weight Behind Star Blueliner
Leafs GM Brad Treliving made his way to media day to answer a range of questions, including a few on Morgan Rielly’s future with the franchise.
Treliving made it clear, in as many words, that they have concrete plans for Rielly in this iteration of the Leafs.
“He’s a big piece for us. Getting Morgan Rielly back to the level he’s capable of will have a big impact on our team,” Treliving told reporters.
Brad Treliving says he had a candid conversation with Morgan Rielly at the end of last season, and Rielly appears to have “taken it to heart.”
“He’s a big piece for us. Getting Morgan Rielly back to the level he’s capable of will have a big impact on our team.”
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) September 17, 2025
There’s been no shortage of criticism when it comes to Rielly’s role with the Leafs. As an offensive-minded blueliner, Rielly has the unenviable task of driving the offense in transition. However, the Leafs’ $60M D-man is also prone to glaring defensive lapses, splitting opinion on his value.
When Rielly landed in the top 25 in Bleacher Report’s list of the best defensemen from each team, NHL fans had some pretty harsh things to say about it. The gist of their feedback was that Rielly is not really Toronto’s best defenseman.
Former Maple Leafs enforcer Jay Rosehill went as far as to say that the franchise should strongly consider trading him away.
“Morgan Rielly is kind of stalled, makes $7.5 million. Doesn’t produce like he used to, sometimes has some brain-dead stuff going on in the D-zone,” Rosehill said on an episode of Leafs Morning Take.
He instead advocated for Toronto to make a move for Pittsburgh Penguins’ Erik Karlsson. “To get the upside of Karlsson and a guy that can QB your PP and do everything that Karlsson has done in the past, a Norris Trophy winner and everything that he’s done experience-wise would be a great deal,” Rosehill added.
The popular notion around the league is that the Penguins are open for business, with one eye on essentially tanking the season and landing the number one overall pick to bring Gavin McKenna to town. How Sidney Crosby takes that plan remains to be seen, but so far, there’s been no indication that Treliving is looking to move on from Rielly just yet.