NHL Rumors: Big Trade Update Revealed On Morgan Rielly
The facts on the ground are considerably quieter.
TSN's Chris Johnston addressed the situation on social media, pushing back on reports that had circulated earlier in the week suggesting Rielly had already submitted a trade list or taken steps toward approving a move.
"Sources say Morgan Rielly hasn't green-lighted a trade by waiving his NMC at this point in time," Johnston wrote. "Any reports to the contrary are false."
Why the No-Movement Clause Is the Whole Story
Rielly holds a full no-movement clause that runs through the 2028 season, at which point it converts to a limited no-trade clause.
Until then, the Toronto Maple Leafs cannot trade him, place him on waivers, or assign him to the minors without his explicit consent.
John Chayka cannot make this move happen, regardless of how many teams call him.
The decision belongs entirely to Rielly.
Sources say Morgan Rielly hasn't green-lighted a trade by waiving his NMC at this point in time. Any reports to the contrary are false.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 16, 2026
Reports from David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period indicated the Leafs were not planning to formally ask Rielly for a list of approved destinations, at least not yet, and that the expectation was for the conversation to happen after he returned from representing Team Canada at the IIHF World Championship.
That window has now arrived.
"The expectation is that Toronto will get to Morgan Rielly in the not too distant future," Darren Dreger said on First Up earlier this month.
What Has Been Confirmed
Rielly is 32 years old, posted a career-worst minus-18 rating across 78 games this season, and logged his least average ice time since 2014 at 21:08 per night.
Multiple Maple Leafs players, including Auston Matthews and William Nylander, asked for more mobile defensemen during exit interviews, framing the blue line need as an organizational priority heading into 2026-27.
Chayka has already begun reshaping the roster, trading goaltender Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit to the Flyers today for Samuel Ersson, Emil Andrae, and a 2026 third-round pick.
Morgan Rielly has not waived his no-movement clause. He'll be a Maple Leaf for the foreseeable future.
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) June 16, 2026
(H/T @reporterchris) pic.twitter.com/k1RpbeZiHG
The Rielly conversation is expected to follow at some point before or around the June 26-27 draft in Buffalo.
Whether Rielly ultimately agrees to waive his clause is something only he can answer, and as of Wednesday he has not answered it.
His previous public comments have leaned toward loyalty to the organization that drafted him fifth overall in 2012.
"That's not what I'm thinking about right now," he said at locker cleanout day, when asked about a potential trade.
Photo Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
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