The Maple Leafs’ search for a major upgrade on the blue line just took a hit.
Adam Fox, once viewed as a possible name worth chasing if Toronto wanted to swing big, is not looking like an option anymore. Elliotte Friedman said teams reached out to the Rangers about Fox’s availability, and Chris Drury shut it down almost immediately.
“I think teams asked Drury about Adam Fox and I think he basically told them to get lost.”
That leaves Toronto back at the drawing board as it continues trying to sort out what happens with Morgan Rielly. The club has been linked to a long list of defencemen in recent discussions - Dougie Hamilton, Simon Nemec, Erik Karlsson, Quinn Hughes and others - but Fox would have been the kind of addition that changes the entire look of the back end. Instead, that door appears closed.
Fox, 28, put up 53 points in 55 games for the Rangers this past season. Over his career, he has 422 points in 486 games, with 72 goals and 350 assists, along with a plus-122 rating, 752 blocks and 221 hits. He remains one of the league’s premier offensive defencemen and is a regular Norris Trophy contender.
For the Rangers, that makes the stance pretty clear. Drury wants to keep Fox as part of the solution, not use him as trade bait.
Toronto, meanwhile, still has work to do and not much time to do it. If the Leafs are moving on from Rielly, they need a way to clear his money and then find a replacement who can help stabilize the lineup. Karlsson and Hamilton are still names in the mix, but both would bring in more money than Rielly, and the team is already in the red.
There was also a Zach Werenski possibility floating around, but that path is gone too without Matthew Knies and a commitment from the defender to Columbus.
The Leafs have about a month and a half before they really need to settle things in their lineup. That’s enough time on paper, but the longer it takes to move Rielly, the more likely they are to be forced into a rushed solution. Without a backup plan in place, the whole process gets messy fast.
At this point, it’s hard to see Toronto making a meaningful move unless Rielly is dealt first. And there’s still a real chance he opens the season with the team.
Fox would have changed that equation. With him off the table, the Leafs are left hoping another option appears soon.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Face A Tough Reunion Question Fans Know Too Well
Michael Bunting is back on the market after finishing a three-year deal with the Carolina Hurricanes and spending last season with both the Nashville Predators and Dallas Stars, which naturally puts Toronto in the conversation. He already has a track record with the Maple Leafs, and his best stretch came when he was part of the mix with Auston Matthews, making him the kind of familiar name that always gets a second look around this time of year.
The catch, as always for Toronto, is roster math. The Maple Leafs do not have the cap room to add him right now, so any serious pursuit would have to wait until they clear salary, and that is where the real intrigue begins. For a team that knows how quickly a reunion can go from appealing to complicated, Bunting is exactly the sort of player who forces those uncomfortable summer calculations. [Read more 🡒]
Morgan Rielly Trade Saga Just Took A Turn Leafs Fans Needed
Morgan Riellys future has become one of the more intriguing subplots around the Maple Leafs, with the veteran defenseman now at the center of a trade conversation that has moved well beyond simple due diligence. Toronto is exploring options on a player who still has four years left on his contract, and the presence of a no-movement clause means any deal would have to clear a major personal hurdle before it ever reaches the finish line.
What makes this latest turn notable is how the market around him has shifted. Interest from the West has faded as other clubs have made roster moves and run into salary-cap limits, leaving the Leafs to navigate a narrower field as they weigh what kind of return could even be available. For a team trying to manage both its present blue line and its long-term cap picture, Riellys situation remains one of the most consequential files on the table. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Could Lose A Drafted Prospect For Nothing Soon
Joe Millers path from Harvard to the Maple Leafs organization has reached a tricky stage, and Toronto now has a decision to make on the 2020 draft pick. After four seasons at Harvard University, the unsigned center is still in the system, but his future with the club is far from settled as the team weighs its roster and contract limitations.
The Leafs have a crowded center pipeline and not much flexibility to work with, which makes Millers situation more complicated than a simple formality. If Toronto cannot fit him into its plans, the organization could be left trying to hold onto a drafted prospect it has followed for years, and the clock on that choice is already running. [Read more 🡒]