19 Aug 2026 15:32:53
So is anyone else thinking any move to move Reilly is pretty near at its end? There are only 11 teams with the capability of absorbing his cap space. Nashville would burn the remainder of their cap to get him. Anaheim wanted him but once Cutter Gauthier signs they will have no cap. Montreal and Carolina are already deep at defense. Pittsburgh has enough defense that play a downhill style of game and want to get either Brunicke if Pickering into their lineup this year. Columbus won’t have room once Fantilli signs, he won’t go to Vancouver, Seattle, Calgary or Detroit. The Sharks now have no need either with their off season moves and drafting. That pretty much leaves one team that has room and a need.

The Flyers.

I’ll toss this out. We trade Mo and Joshua which gives them a veteran d-man and a forward when healthy can play 2nd, 3rd and 4th line minutes when needed. In return we want our 1st round pick back from them for this year. That would give us over $10 mil in cap space. Give us 2 1st round picks first this upcoming year with that and Colorado’s. And…. By not taking back a roster player it not gives us 3 open contract spots instead of just the 1 we have available now.

Would that be enough for Philly to bite or would we need to add something like a 3rd or 4th round pick?

It just looks more like they might be the one team if agreed to go would be a good landing spot.

1.) 19 Aug 2026
19 Aug 2026 16:18:26
I think Nashville is still the better trade option.
I'm really not sure on Rielly's value anymore, but I would try.

Rielly $7.5M/4yrs

for

Perbix $2.75M/1yr UFA
Wood $.975M/1yr RFA

Leafs get bottom pairing & PKing Dman and a nice big, physical prospect RFA, who is still waiver exempt.



Nashville adds a puck moving Dman, who can man their 2nd PP unit.

Willing to add a mid round draft pick from Leafs end to get this deal over the finish line.

Thoughts?

2.) 19 Aug 2026
19 Aug 2026 16:46:19
@suffering boy I like your train of thought on this one! I’d give them Reilly Joshua, and a 2nd if it meant getting our first back. The possibility of a repeat of last yr, I think is slim but what if? Then, Matthews gone followed shortly after by Willie. We’ve fully embraced a major retool now and potentially lose another top 10, maybe top 5 pick in 28 to Boston?! If Philly will even consider making a move with us for our 1st back, we make it happen. My opinion anyway. My only question is, if we make this deal, do we still have the option of which year Philly or Boston gets our 1st rounder? To my understanding, we hold the right, bc of last yr top 5 protection, of adjusting which 1st each team will get? So, we make the trade, get our first back.

Then next year, 26/27 season likely a 1st round exit, but 20 somewhere pick to say Boston doesn’t sting. Then we got the first back from Philly, life and retool moves forward flawlessly, almost lol. Hey, we still would have a 1st next yr with Colorado’s!!??

3.) 19 Aug 2026
19 Aug 2026 21:12:33
Anything is possible, but it is not looking likely that Mo gets moved. I don't see the Philly fit though. They already have Drysdale, Sanheim and York signed for less than Rielly and all have term.

If one of them aren't moved, where does Rielly fit in with Risto there as well?
I still think LA is the best fit. Leafs would have to take back some cap, but LA has a need for Rielly.

4.) 19 Aug 2026
19 Aug 2026 21:20:52
Tags. Can't imagine Nash giving up Perbix and Wood for Rielly, but if they will, I take it and run. Wood may become a 25-30 goal winger and as he continues to develop, could be a great net front presence.

5.) 19 Aug 2026
19 Aug 2026 21:40:14
@tags The only thing is if we bring back two contracts for 1 leaving we have hit our limit of 50. Not to mention we really don’t save that much in cap space. I just think we have at least one player in our system under contract that can fill Reilly's spot. Either Danford, Chadsick, Villeneuve or my personal choice to sneak under the radar….

Cade Webber. Shot kicking machine and actually very mobile as a big man. A true defensive defenseman.


@rlf Yes, Philly has a great top 4 but they have cap room and Reilly is better than Seeler and Jiricek and even if he was #5 he is there to step in as a top 4 in injuries.

6.) 19 Aug 2026
19 Aug 2026 21:49:04
Re: L. A. Yeah, they have the need, but we don't want to take back cap, do we? Plus L. S. already has 50 contracts signed, so they will want us to not only take back cap but take on one of those contracts too.

7.) 19 Aug 2026
19 Aug 2026 21:55:07
Suffering. $7.5M for 4 more years for a D-man they intend to play on the 3rd pair and they will give up a 1st to get him? Sorry, just don't see why they would give up 1st and take on that cap hit if the intention would be for the 3rd pair.

Especially when our 1st back could be a 10-15 OA pick with so many question marks around the Leafs.

8.) 19 Aug 2026
19 Aug 2026 22:04:19
Interesting post, but I don't see an unprotected first coming back right now when the Leafs just missed the playoffs.

9.) 19 Aug 2026
19 Aug 2026 22:15:35
@Suffering
Leafs definitely will have to trade some other players for draft pick. I definitely could see Joshua gone to stay status quo with 49 SPC's.

@RLF
Yes, I don't think this goes through from Nashvulle perspective. Maybe Leafs adding a draf pick or Holinka to bridge the gap?

10.) 19 Aug 2026
19 Aug 2026 22:21:54
Because Philly is not sure if they want to extend Risto at the price he wants or to trade him. So Reilly would give them the flexibilty to keep Risto or trade him plus Joshua give them more flexibilty up front as well. Don't get me wrong. I like Joshua and think if healthy for first time in a few years would be good here.

Most people want to run him out of town. So if packaging him and Reilly and possibly as Henry said a draft pick gets that pick back and we don't incur any other cap or contract why not? I mean we are just of course hypothecial playing with other people's money on here right? lol lol.

11.) 20 Aug 2026
20 Aug 2026 02:57:49
Suffering. LA is only at 46 contracts. They don't need the Leafs to take one back except to make the cap work or they would have to make another move(s) to clear cap. As for Philly, I still don't see why they would, but you believe they would. All good.

12.) 20 Aug 2026
20 Aug 2026 11:51:17
You are correct. I had missed that L.A. had 3 platers on sliding contracts. Was multitasking when I responded. Thing is, though, L.A. would have to clear roughly $6 mil to get Reilly and truthfully the main reason Toronto has been trying to move him is to free up that $7.5 not to bring in matching cap or even $4 million in return. Philly has come up in rumours for Reilly in the past which kind of surprised me and while they obviously didn’t land Carlsson it sounds like they are still looking for Defense depth and Middle 6 depth.

Possibly to position themselves for a larger move at some point (Risto perhaps). To pry that 1st back, it could take adding a 2nd round pick. Anyway, if we can’t move him, we can’t. Our best window was at the trade deadline and well might be again this season depending how things go.

13.) 20 Aug 2026
20 Aug 2026 13:14:35
If L.A. got Rielly, Gustafsson gets waived and likely Ward, clearing $1.775 in cap. They would likely trade Dumoullin to fit Rielly. All moot likely anyhow as I don't see it probable that he gets moved now.

14.) 22 Aug 2026
22 Aug 2026 02:13:49
Rielly trade is gone for now. Hopefully he has a good season and teams get interested again, but for now he will be wearing the blue and white opening night.