The talk about Morgan Rielly and the Toronto Maple Leafs has grown louder this offseason, but the situation is much more limited than rumours suggest.

Rielly holds a full no-movement clause in his contract, so he has complete control over any potential trade. He cannot be moved unless he agrees to it.

As reported by NHL Trade Rumors, Chris Johnston clarified also that reports of any official trade approval process are not accurate and have been shut down.

“Sources say Morgan Rielly hasn't green-lighted a trade by waiving his NMC at this point in time,” Johnston wrote in a post on X. “Any reports to the contrary are false.”

That statement shows that no trade can happen without Morgan Rielly agreeing to it. Rielly is signed to an eight-year, $60 million contract with a $7.5 million cap hit that runs through 2029–30. In the 2026 season, he played 78 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs and scored 36 points.

However, his defensive numbers were criticized after he finished with a minus-18 rating and averaged 21:08 of ice time per game, his lowest since 2014.

His full no-movement clause means he has complete control until 2028. The Maple Leafs cannot trade, waive, or send him down without his permission.

Even internal roster discussions under GM John Chayka cannot change that. Because of this, any trade talk depends fully on whether Rielly is willing to consider a move.

With Time Trade Timeline and Organizational Pressure are Building

Reports from David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period say the Toronto Maple Leafs have delayed asking for a list of approved trade destinations.

This was mainly out of respect for Morgan Rielly after his time with Team Canada at the IIHF World Championship. That situation has now passed, and talks are expected to start before the June 26–27 draft in Buffalo.

Leadership inside the team has also played a role in the discussion. Players like Auston Matthews and William Nylander have reportedly said the team needs faster, more mobile defensemen. This has added pressure on management to look at possible roster changes.

At the same time, the Leafs have already started making moves, including changes involving Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit. These moves show that bigger changes to the roster may already be underway.

Despite speculation, Darren Dreger summed up the situation, “The expectation is that Toronto will get to Morgan Rielly in the not too distant future,” he said.

Morgan Rielly has taken a careful approach to the situation by saying, “That's not what I'm thinking about right now.”

This shows that his choice will play a major role in what happens next in this offseason story. As the NHL Draft nears, the Toronto Maple Leafs are still looking at defensive upgrades, but everything depends on Morgan Rielly and his full no-movement clause.

He had 7 points in 13 playoff games and remains an important part of the team’s core, even with criticism of his defensive play. Time is running out for Toronto, but nothing changes unless Rielly agrees to a move.

What do you think? Will Morgan Rielly waive his no-movement clause to allow Maple Leafs trade discussions? Comment down below. 

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Written by

Kapil Manghnani

Edited by

Kaamna Dwivedi