Morgan Rielly might actually still be back with the Toronto Maple Leafs to start next season after all.
A new post from Leafs Updates this week captured the shifting mood around his situation as the offseason drags on.
"The longer we go into the offseason, the more I feel there's a chance Rielly will be back to start the year," the account wrote.
That take comes with a real caveat attached. The same post says the preference is still to move Rielly if the right deal comes along.
Part of the shift comes down to Darren Raddysh. Toronto's big defense addition posted 22 goals and 48 assists for 70 points this past season.
That kind of production gives Toronto a real answer at the top of its blue line, with or without Rielly in the lineup.
Rielly himself posted 11 goals and 25 assists for 36 points over 78 games this past season, a quieter year by his own standard.
Darren Raddysh is set to take over top-pair duties
The open question the post raises is a fair one. If Rielly does get moved, who actually replaces his top-four minutes?
Jake McCabe and Oliver Ekman-Larsson round out the group, but neither profiles as the puck-moving piece Rielly has been for years.
Chris Tanev's health complicates the picture further. He played just 11 games last season and remains a variable heading into camp.
Toronto missed the playoffs entirely last season, finishing 32-36-14 for 78 points, part of why every one of these roster questions carries extra weight.
The original post lays out the full case for why Rielly staying put would not be the worst outcome.
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Whether Toronto actually finds a trade partner before camp opens, or simply runs it back with Rielly in the fold, is still genuinely unclear.
Should the Maple Leafs just keep Morgan Rielly instead of trading him?
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