Morgan Rielly knows his days in Toronto may be numbered, and it's not the first time he's thought like this.
The Maple Leafs defenceman has a full no-movement clause on the eight-year, $60-million deal he signed back in 2021, and he's under contract through the 2029-30 season. Still, he knows he may be approached about a possible move following the disastrous year.
"It's a challenging thing to answer when those conversations haven't happened yet," Rielly said. "But after a year like this, after any year, but especially after one that can be very disappointing, change is bound to happen.
"So I think, as an athlete, you have to be prepared for that. It's not the first time that it's crossed my mind, that's not something that anyone believes that they're not open to. So when that conversation happens, we'll deal with it accordingly."
The 32-year-old is one of the few Leafs who have experienced missing the playoffs before. Rielly missed the postseason in his first three seasons in Toronto and was here when they finished last in the NHL in 2015-16.
Despite the uncertainties, Rielly reiterated his love for Toronto.
"I've always wanted to stay, I still want to stay. I love playing here, I love being a Maple Leaf, and this organization means a lot to me," Rielly said.
Highlights from other players
• Anthony Stolarz eyes more physicality: "We have to play like bastards. We have to play hard, and we have to play heavy. ... We got served a slice of humble pie this year, hopefully that fuels everyone."
• Matthew Knies on trade rumours: "I wouldn’t want to look at it as a compliment, I’d look at it as a crappy thing. I don’t want to leave this group of guys. … It doesn’t really matter what it was. I wouldn’t want to leave here.”
• Chris Tanev on injury-riddled season: "Awful. I played 11 games, it’s not good. Definitely sucks doing that. Watching wasn’t great as well, as we did not do what we needed to do on the ice.”
• John Tavares is planning to represent Canada at the World Hockey Championship: “Obviously, you want to be playing for the Stanley Cup, but anytime you get the opportunity to represent your country, and certainly the stage I'm at, you don’t take it lightly.”
• Joseph Woll doesn't want to feel this way again: "For me, I think the thing I've been leaning into is how brutal this feels. It felt pretty crappy getting knocked out in Game 7 last year, and this is a whole different animal. It's like a slow burn into the year, as opposed to it being abrupt. I imagine I speak for the team, but I don't want this to happen again, and I wanna do everything in my power to make that the reality."
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