Toronto Maple Leafs Star Suddenly Emerges as Top Defense Target for the Vancouver Canucks
Photo credit: NHL
An NHL insider has named a Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman as a potential fit for the Vancouver Canucks' blue line under new Head Coach Adam Foote next season.
The Vancouver Canucks are expected to be busy this summer as the management group of Jim Rutherford and Patrik Allvin attempt to make some big additions to the roster in order to avoid missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
For now, the Vancouver Canucks seem to be targeting a second line centerman and possibly a top-six forward, on the chance that Brock Boeser leaves on July 1st, but could we see the organization bring in another defenseman this summer?
NHL insider links Vancouver Canucks to Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman
The Toronto Maple Leafs are likely to go through a bit of change this summer, with forward Mitch Marner set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st and there's some uncertainty on whether or not he'll be back next season.
Beyond Marner, the Maple Leafs have a few other questions that will need to be addressed in the weeks ahead including the futures of John Tavares, who is also a UFA on Canada Day, and defenseman Morgan Rielly, who still has five years remaining on his contract.
In a recent off-season trade bait board on Sportsnet, former NHLer, now insider, Nick Kypreos mentioned that the Toronto Maple Leafs could look to move Morgan Rielly this summer to give them a bit more cap flexibility, although it won't be easy given he has a full no-movement clause.
Kypreos added that if both sides agree that a fresh start is needed and Rielly waives his no-movement clause, then his hometown team, the Vancouver Canucks, could be a potential landing spot for him.
"Rielly, 31, does have a full no-movement clause and hasn't made an indication he's willing to waive, so there would need to be a mutual understanding that a change of scenery is in everybody's best interests. I'd start with a team near his hometown like the Canucks." Kypreos said.
The Vancouver, British Columbia native struggled at times this season and wasn't great in his own zone during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
While Rielly's days as a power play quarterback on the first unit are likely behind him, he could still be a solid top-four option, who consistently puts up 40+ points annually, however for the Vancouver Canucks, it doesn't seem like there would be a fit.
Vancouver already has a logjam of their own on the blue line and things got a bit more complicated for the 2025-26 season when Patrik Allvin announced the signing of Derek Forbort and unless he's able to move a blueliner or two off his roster and opens up some cap space in doing so, the odds of Morgan Rielly coming to the Canucks seems quite low.
Previously on CanucksDaily
| POLL | ||
JUIN 6 | 2292 ANSWERS Toronto Maple Leafs Star Suddenly Emerges as Top Defense Target for the Vancouver Canucks Do you think Morgan Rielly would be a good fit for the Vancouver Canucks? | ||
| Yes | 969 | 42.3 % |
| No, there's no room for him in the top-four | 1323 | 57.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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