JJohn Chayka isn't done retooling the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Morgan Rielly is reportedly still among the names in play.
Chayka has already been busy this offseason, and the chatter suggests at least one or two more moves before training camp opens in September.
The list of departures so far is not short. Toronto has dealt Nick Robertson, Brandon Carlo, Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit, and let Matias Maccelli and Calle Jarnkrok walk in free agency.
Woll and Benoit both landed with Anaheim this offseason, while Maccelli signed with the Islanders after Toronto chose not to give him a qualifying offer.
That kind of turnover rarely stops on its own, and multiple reports have Chayka continuing active trade discussions with several teams around the league.
Morgan Rielly is the name generating the most consistent chatter of the group.
Morgan Rielly headlines the next wave of moves
Rielly posted 11 goals and 25 assists for 36 points over 78 games this past season, a quiet year that has not helped his trade value.
Darren Raddysh's arrival gives Toronto real cover to actually follow through on a move, after he posted 22 goals and 48 assists for 70 points of his own.
Jake McCabe rounds out a defense group that no longer needs every one of Rielly's old minutes replaced by a single addition.
Rielly still carries a $7.5 million cap hit on his contract, a real number for any team willing to take on the deal.
Toronto missed the playoffs entirely last season, finishing 32-36-14 for 78 points and 28th overall, part of why every single roster question keeps drawing scrutiny.
Dakota Joshua is quietly part of that same conversation. He struggled through a rough first season in Toronto, battling injuries and an inconsistent role under former head coach Craig Berube.
He still brings real size and toughness, but new additions like Colton Sissons, Teddy Blueger and Brandon Duhaime give Toronto enough grit up front to make moving him easier.
Joshua has two years left on his deal at $3.2 million and holds a 12-team no-trade clause.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson could be next if Rielly ends up staying instead. Multiple teams have shown real interest in the Swedish defenseman this summer.
Chayka is in no rush given Ekman-Larsson's modest $3.5 million cap hit over the next two seasons, but a strong enough offer could still change his mind.
Rielly, Joshua and Ekman-Larsson are just the first names on Chayka's list. Whether any of these moves actually get finished before camp opens is still the real story here.
Should the Maple Leafs finally trade Morgan Rielly this summer?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Incident revealed to have caused Patrick Kane's breakup with the Red Wings
