Former Maple Leafs defenceman Frankie Corrado still thinks Morgan Rielly is headed for the door before the 2026-27 season begins, even if the move has taken longer than expected.
Rielly’s future has bounced all over the map this offseason. At different points, the chatter had him being moved before the draft, then possibly staying put, then right back in the trade conversation again. For now, his status for training camp remains unresolved.
Corrado said on SC with Jay Onrait that he’s still expecting Toronto to move on from Rielly, and admitted the delay has caught him off guard.
"I'm surprised as well. I'm going to say I don't expect him to be with the Leafs when the season starts... but one thing that John Chayka was adamant about when he first took that job...they're going to build from the back end out."
That idea fits with the way Toronto has approached its blue line this offseason. The club has aimed to get younger, quicker, and cleaner moving the puck, and it has already added Darren Raddysh and Emil Andrae. At the same time, the Leafs still have veteran puck-moving options in Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Troy Stecher.
If Rielly does stay, his role may not look the same. Raddysh is expected to help on the power play and serve as the lone defensive player on the ice, which would push Rielly further down the depth chart.
That might not be a bad thing for him. Right now, Rielly is projected for the second unit, where he’d be grouped with Gavin McKenna, Easton Cowan, Jack Roslovic, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. On paper, that’s a pretty useful mix.
Ekman-Larsson would give him support on the back end, while Roslovic’s 21 career power-play goals and Cowan’s six power-play points in his rookie season offer some real help. McKenna is still an unknown, but the setup could give Rielly a little more room to breathe.
Less pressure could be exactly what he needs to rediscover some of the offense that has defined his game. And even if he doesn’t wind up on the top power-play group, a smaller assignment could still help him get back on track.
At even strength, Rielly could still end up on the top pair. Raddysh would be there to help, and if coach Jim Hiller wants to ease some of the defensive burden, Jake McCabe could move up and allow Rielly to skate alongside Chris Tanev.
A Rielly trade looked like the likely outcome at one point, but it’s not a sure thing. If Toronto keeps him, the focus may need to shift away from what he can’t do and back toward what he does best. That could be the key to getting his offensive game going again and, by extension, winning back some of the fan base.
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