Quick Shifts: Maple Leafs must make call on Morgan Rielly soon - Sportsnet.ca
Not unlike JVR in 2018 or Hyman this July, the 27-year-old Rielly will have a chance to set himself up financially for the rest of his life.
He’s a smart guy. A loyal soldier who has battled through enough bruises, strains and breaks to know that earning years are limited.
“[My next contract has] obviously crossed my mind, but it’s not something that I spend a lot of time thinking about,” Rielly said Wednesday.
“Especially after a playoff loss, you don’t really think about that as much. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. But right now, it’s more just trying to deal with what happens on the ice. I have to take care of myself and just prepare for next season and get going. But in terms of the other stuff, that tends to take care of itself over time.”
Rielly is a dynamic playmaker and smooth skater in his prime. He could fetch a superior return to any of the Maple Leafs’ past “own rentals.” He’s also been usurped on Sheldon Keefe’s top power-play unit by the emerging and cap-kind Rasmus Sandin. That could diminish his point production as a Leaf in 2021-22.
You won’t find a better $5-million defenceman on the open market than Rielly. And his value may never be higher than now.
But if the brass isn’t shaking the core, walking their best D-man to a 2022 payday comes with a risk of its own.
“You never want to do that if you don’t have to with guys that are a key part of your team,” Dubas said.
“Patience is a good thing. That said, we will investigate it here as we go onto the summer. We will definitely have a conversation with J.P. about where they may be at and what Morgan may want to do.”
Patience sounds nice, to a point. One way or another, Toronto needs to be proactive here. The Rielly decision could define next season.