Pittsburgh Hockey Insider has no direct affiliation to the Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL or NHLPA
Kyle Dubas' Close Friend & Former Player Morgan Rielly Involved in Trade Speculation
Morgan Rielly's name has been heating up in trade speculation, and given his ties to Kyle Dubas, things could get very interesting for the Penguins.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have made many changes this off-season, but with the regular season right around the corner, it appears that work may not yet be done for Brad Treliving and the organization.
With a forward logjam, there's been plenty of chatter around this forward group and potential changes, but now, insider Cam Robinson has revealed that one of their key defenseman may be a trade candidate.
Morgan Rielly on the move out of Toronto?
That defenseman would be close friend of Penguins GM Kyle Dubas and veteran Morgan Rielly, who has spent his entire career thus far with the Maple Leafs, but if they no longer value him, a trade may make sense.
In his latest piece for Elite Prospects, Robinson names Rielly as one of 10 players that are on trade watch heading into what could be a very interesting 2025/26 campaign.
"On the ice, Rielly's role has quietly been reduced. Once the focal point of Toronto's offence from the back end, his power-play usage dipped below two minutes per game last season, representing a sharp contrast to his peak years. That drop in opportunity led to an eight-year low in offensive metrics nearly across the board. That, combined with a large contract and aging curve, raises questions about whether he still fits the Leafs' long-term direction.
Those same questions would crop up in the minds of any GM considering acquiring him as well.
The bigger catch: Rielly has been clear he wants to stay, and even if he softened, the pool of teams with the cap space and desire for his deal is slim. Trading him isn't impossible, but it would take the perfect storm of willingness, fit, and financial creativity."
Those same questions would crop up in the minds of any GM considering acquiring him as well.
The bigger catch: Rielly has been clear he wants to stay, and even if he softened, the pool of teams with the cap space and desire for his deal is slim. Trading him isn't impossible, but it would take the perfect storm of willingness, fit, and financial creativity."
While Pittsburgh may not be on his list of teams he wants to be moved too, one can't rule out the relationship with Dubas, and if the Maple Leafs truly are ready to move on from Rielly, it wouldn't be a shock to see the Penguins GM look to make a move.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 12 | 46 ANSWERS Kyle Dubas' Close Friend & Former Player Morgan Rielly Involved in Trade Speculation Should the Penguins pursue Morgan Rielly if he's available? | ||
| Yes | 30 | 65.2 % |
| No | 16 | 34.8 % |
| List of polls | ||