"Rielly, the longest tenured Leaf, has a deep emotional attachment to the team and its core. He hasn't been a scapegoat, and he was pretty darn good during the 2022-23 playoffs, but he simply isn't an all-situations horse who can shut down the other team's best players.
That said, while he isn't an alpha No. 1 blueliner, he also isn't paid as one. At $7.5 million, he's merely the 23rd– richest defenseman in the league. He has a full no-movement clause and is under contract six more seasons.
Unlike Marner and Tavares, Rielly didn't grow up in this market. He's a Western Canadian. Is there a chance he'd be willing to waive in the event of a trade simply for a fresh start for the second half of his career?"
