The 2024-25 season brought changes for Morgan Rielly but he still has a skillset the Leafs need

For the better part of a decade, the Toronto Maple Leafs blueline has largely been built around what works best for Morgan Rielly. With the success of Jake McCabe in the latter half of 2023-24, and with the arrival of Chris Tanev in the summer of 2024, along with new coach Craig Berube, things changed significantly for how the Leafs approached defence. And while the Leafs saw overall improvements in their defensive game, Rielly struggled for much of the season and now that Brendan Shanahan’s plans are being scrapped, it raises the question of whether or not Game Seven against Florida was Rielly’s last game in a Maple Leafs uniform.

Before heading too far down the path of speculation, it’s important to remember that Morgan Rielly has a full no movement clause, is a career Leaf, and Toronto is still very much going to be one of the most competitive teams next season, regardless of what overhaul takes place. There is greater value in looking back at the past season and correcting it than coming up with potential situations where Rielly would waive his no movement clause.

How the year went

With the high probability of Rielly’s return, it’s important to look at the biggest barriers to his success, but also what he has to offer the Leafs that no one else on the blueline does, and that is his 5v5 puck moving ability.

Puck moving, arguably Rielly’s most important skill was downplayed for much of the 2024-25 season. Craig Berube doesn’t share Sheldon Keefe’s appreciation of the stretch pass, nor was he excited to see his defencemen pinching with great frequency. When Rielly is essentially a fourth forward when he’s on the ice, the best of Rielly was off limits. High event hockey was no longer the expectation of the top line, especially with Auston Matthews not finishing at previous levels.

Again, with offence being the name of Rielly’s game, it was a bold decision by Craig Berube to take Rielly off the top powerplay unit. Bold, but not unwarranted as Rielly’s success a puck mover and offensive defenceman has always come