Penguins Expressing Interest In Morgan Rielly
According to David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period, the Pittsburgh Penguins have “some degree” of interest, in Toronto Maple Leafs veteran defenseman Morgan Rielly.
Rielly was a fifth overall draft selection by Toronto in 2012.
The Vancouver, British Columbia native has spent his entire 13-year NHL career with the Leafs, and has been their alternate captain since 2016-17.
This season, Rielly put up 11 goals on Toronto’s blue line, along with 114 blocked shots across 78 games.
Penguins president of hockey operations, Kyle Dubas, has previous ties with Rielly, as the former Leafs GM signed Rielly to an eight-year, $60 million dollar extension, in October of 2021.
Rielly is a left shot defenseman, which Pittsburgh clearly has a need for. However, the 32-year-old carries a hefty, $7.5 million AAV over the next four seasons. Perhaps Toronto could retain some salary to facilitate a Reilly trade, even if the Penguins would have to give up a good package.