Analyst Believes Morgan Rielly’s Struggles Warrant Big Changes

The 2025–26 season was supposed to be a bounce-back year for Morgan Rielly—a chance to prove he’s still capable of being a top-pairing defenseman with elite offensive abilities and passable defense on the other side. While he got off to a solid start and has had some good moments, the defensive lapses have once again become an issue, and frustration is growing within Leafs Nation.

Rielly too often finds himself on the ice when the opposition scores, and more times than not, it’s his man putting the puck in the back of the net—whether by winning a battle or simply deking through him.

---

Those issues have become more noticeable as the season has gone on, reigniting questions about whether Rielly can still be relied upon as a high-end option on the blue line. Former Maple Leaf and current analyst Jay Rosehill took that conversation a step further, suggesting that on some nights, Rielly hasn’t even been good enough to warrant a spot in the lineup.

Rosehill said:

“A one or a two guy? Sometimes I’m watching and I’m like, if you blur his face, name bar, and number, he’d be in the press box immediately. He’s got the longest leash in the world. The mistakes, the exposure, the decision-making—it gets to a point where you ask if they’re better off with him not playing some nights, because he’s a detriment at times.

I don’t think they’re going to put him in the press box—there’s nobody to fill in for him, and they’ve clearly decided the upside is better than not—but if anyone else was making these mistakes, take your pick, like Benoit, they’d never see the ice again. We talk about him as a No. 1 defenseman, maybe a No. 2, but some nights he doesn’t even play like a sixth,”

The 31-year-old Rielly has tallied 29 points (six goals, 23 assists) in 48 games played this season, while sporting a team-worst -14 rating. He’s in year four of the eight-year, $60 million extension signed with the Maple Leafs in 2021.

What Can Toronto Do with Morgan Rielly?

It’s a difficult situation for the Maple Leafs, watching a core player on a big-money long-term deal struggle the way Rielly has at times this season.

Realistically, there isn’t much Toronto can do in the short term, at least when it comes to moving on from Rielly, as the odds of him waiving his no-movement clause mid-season are slim to none.

In the meantime, the most logical solution may be reducing his workload and adding another defenseman who can absorb some of those minutes. That’s easier said than done, given the Leafs’ lack of assets and salary cap constraints, but all of the rumors suggest GM Brad Treliving is actively looking for help on the back end—proof that the organization is not naive about the struggles of their longtime No. 1 defenseman.

Next: Difficult Decisions Loom: Should William Nylander Play in the Olympics?