The Toronto Maple Leafs and John Chayka are quietly shopping a big-name player before the season

Morgan Rielly's name is still very much alive in trade conversations, and Toronto's cap situation is exactly why.

GM John Chayka has barely been on the job a few months, but he's already reshaped this roster through big trades and free agent signings.

According to sources close to the front office, Chayka remains active in trade talks, largely because Toronto currently sits over the salary cap.

Rielly is the name drawing the most attention, but he's not the only one. Dakota Joshua and Steven Lorentz are also reportedly available on the market right now.

Rielly holds a full no-movement clause, though he did submit a list of four teams earlier this offseason he'd be willing to join, with a clear preference for the Western Conference.

At 32, he has four years left on his deal at a $7,500,000 cap hit, and last season was genuinely one of the roughest stretches of his career.

Rielly finished with 11 goals and 25 assists for 36 points in 78 games, but he ranked among the league's worst defensemen at even strength defensively.

Joshua or Lorentz could move if Rielly stays put

Special teams usage isn't helping his case either. With Darren Raddysh and Emil Andrae both now on Toronto's roster, Rielly isn't likely to see much power play time going forward.

Andrae posted 13 points in 61 games as a rookie option on the back end, one more name eating into minutes that used to belong to Rielly.

That combination, declining defensive results and shrinking special teams usage, makes $7,500,000 a real question mark for a player at this stage of his contract.

If Rielly doesn't get moved, Toronto still has other paths to shed money. Dakota Joshua and Lorentz both profile as realistic trade candidates before camp opens.

Lorentz posted 7 goals and 11 assists for 18 points in 71 games last season, the kind of bottom-six depth piece that's easier to move than a $7,500,000 veteran defenseman.

Chayka has shown all summer he's not afraid to make moves, and this cap crunch means at least one more transaction is likely coming before training camp starts.

Whether that ends up being Rielly himself or one of the smaller depth pieces is still the open question hanging over this roster heading into September.