Could Last Chance Contender Be a Trade Suitor for Morgan Rielly?

Barring a massive winning streak—and even that might not be enough in the Eastern Conference—the Toronto Maple Leafs appear poised to miss the playoffs for the first time in a decade.

As a result, the weeks and months leading up to the trade deadline could look very different for a fanbase accustomed to seeing its team go all-in to win. While general manager Brad Treliving isn’t ready to punt on the 2025–26 season quite yet, he may be willing to shake up the roster in a re-tooling fashion, and one name frequently mentioned in an outgoing move to jolt the organization has become Morgan Rielly.

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Trade chatter surrounding the longest-tenured Maple Leaf is as loud as it’s ever been, and unless Toronto heats up quickly, Rielly could find himself a new home sooner rather than later.

It’s difficult to pinpoint many landing spots for him, given his age and contract; however, Eklund’s NHL Trade and Free Agency Rumors believes the Washington Capitals are a team that should show interest in the veteran defenseman as they look to capitalize on the final window of Alex Ovechkin’s career.

Eklund wrote:

“Enter the Washington Capitals, a team walking the line between contending and retooling around Alex Ovechkin’s final elite years. Washington has long sought a true top-pair puck-moving defenseman—someone who can drive transition, quarterback a power play, and log heavy minutes against top competition. Rielly checks every one of those boxes… For Toronto, such a deal would be less about moving Rielly specifically and more about reshaping the roster—potentially recouping assets, cap flexibility, or NHL-ready depth. For Washington, it would be a clear statement: maximize what’s left of the Ovechkin era and worry about the rest later.”

In other words, Eklund argues this might be the Capitals’ last chance to make a push. Adding someone like Rielly could help.

Rielly has tallied 24 points (five goals, 19 assists) through 35 games this season. The 31-year-old is in year four of the eight-year, $60 million extension he inked with the Maple Leafs back in 2021.

Does Washington Make Sense for Morgan Rielly?

While there’s a connection to head coach Spencer Carbery, and the Capitals aren’t completely capped out, the need for a player like Rielly just really isn’t there.

The Capitals boast the second-most productive defense corps in the NHL, led by Jakob Chychrun and John Carlson. Add in Matt Roy, Martin Fehervary, Rasmus Sandin, and Trevor van Riemsdyk, and there simply isn’t room for Rielly to slot in.

There is certainly a case to be made to look for an upgrade over Van Riemsdyk, but doing so with an aging, expensive, offense-first defenseman—one who may not even see power-play time—feels like an inefficient use of money and resources.

Ultimately, this just shows how tricky it will be for Treliving to actually move Rielly. There are few obvious fits for what he brings at this stage of his career, and even if one emerges, he controls his own fate with full trade protection. In other words, buckle up—this conversation is only just beginning.

Next: Analyst Calls Out Auston Matthews as Maple Leafs’ Biggest Issue