Under new general manager John Chayka, the Toronto Maple Leafs have made a series of meaningful changes, both behind the bench and on the ice. Gone are the likes of Joseph Woll and Nicolas Robertson, while among the new faces arriving in town are Sergei Bobrovsky, Darren Raddysh, Nick Paul, and Emil Andrae.
Of course, the Maple Leafs have also welcomed forward Gavin McKenna, the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft out of Penn State, to the organization; he’s expected to earn a roster spot in Training Camp and could very well begin making an impact for the club right off the bat.
Additionally, former Maple Leafs assistant coach Jim Hiller took over from the terminated Craig Berube, while Daniel Alfredsson, John Gruden and Brad Werenka have also come aboard as assistants; Derek Lalonde and Mike Van Ryn were not retained.
And while there remains speculation about the future of other players with the organization, the most pressing issue facing the Maple Leafs right now is the future of longtime defenseman Morgan Rielly.
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ Most Pressing Question Involves The Future Of Morgan Rielly
According to Rory Boylen of Sportsnet, the major lingering question the Maple Leafs are facing involves the future of longtime defenseman Morgan Rielly, the longest-serving current member of the team who has found himself heavily embroiled in trade rumors.
“No Maple Leafs player has been talked about as a real trade possibility more than Rielly, who was connected to San Jose before they made the move for their preferred target in Darnell Nurse,” Boylen wrote. “With four years left on a $7.5-million contract and coming off a struggle of a season, Rielly hasn’t attracted the right offer.”
“Instead, the Maple Leafs did trade out Brandon Carlo and now we wonder if there’s a path to Rielly returning in the fall. His place on the top power play will be taken over by Darren Raddysh, while Jake McCabe and a healthy Chris Tanev will push for greater roles. If he does return, it would certainly be in a reduced role. But is that the preferred outcome after all the noise? It’s worth pointing out that Toronto is $2.7 million over the cap at the moment.”
Right now, whether Rielly begins the upcoming season still wearing the Maple Leafs crest remains to be seen.
There Remains An Avenue For The Maple Leafs To Keep Morgan Rielly
According to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, there is still an avenue for Rielly to be with the Maple Leafs when the new season begins in the fall.
“I said there’s a chance they keep him, I don’t know if that made everyone involved happy,” Friedman said. “There was some reporting after that he would like to move on, I don’t know if that’s true or not. I just heard Toronto told people they’re not paying a big price to move him. Like if it’s something they consider too much of a sweetener they won’t do it,” Friedman said. “If Rielly comes back they’ll try to make it work for him. I think they feel with a new approach and maybe a different role that could help him.”
NHL Insider: Maple Leafs Still Face Major Pressing Question