Luke Fox just highlighted how Morgan Rielly has quietly turned his season around with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The veteran defenceman was in the middle of trade talk, and he's still in Toronto, producing. Fox says Rielly got a lift from his time with Team Canada and from the young teammates around him.
Fox relayed Rielly's own words on that, "You get to kind of experience it through their eyes," and described the 32-year-old as someone who survived the trade threat and is quietly playing good-value hockey.
-
The numbers back it up. Rielly has 12 points in 17 games this season, and every one of them is an assist. He hasn't scored yet, but he's driving offence from the back end.
| GP | G | A | PTS | +/- | |
| 2026-27 | 17 | 0 | 12 | 12 | 0 |
| Career | 968 | 98 | 463 | 561 | -41 |
That matters because the Maple Leafs have been inconsistent. They sit 8-7-2, 15th in the NHL and sixth in the Atlantic Division, and they lost 3-2 to Utah on Tuesday night.
Toronto's goal differential is +6, so this isn't a team in freefall. It's a team that hasn't separated itself either.
Why Rielly's trade value is a real question now
Our list of defencemen John Chayka could target showed how badly Toronto's blue line needs help. Roman Josi's name keeps surfacing as the general manager looks for a top-pair option.
If Rielly keeps producing like this, the equation changes. Moving a defenceman who is playing well is a harder sell than moving one who is struggling, and a bad idea if the goal is to improve the back end.
Rielly is 968 games into his NHL career and has 561 points. He was picked fifth overall by Toronto in 2012, and he has lived through every version of this team.
That history is why the trade noise around him felt so loud. It's also why a quiet, steady run of play might say more than any statement.
He is listed with no injury. The Maple Leafs host Montreal on Saturday, and Jim Hiller will keep leaning on a blueliner who has turned a shaky situation into a strong start.
Should the Maple Leafs keep Morgan Rielly instead of trading him for a top-pair defenceman?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Veteran goaltender placed on waivers and available for 31 NHL teams: James Reimer
