The Colorado Avalanche will likely be looking at all the various options out there this summer. While Joe Sakic may not have any blockbuster moves in the pipeline, he won’t likely sit on his hands, either.
With all the talk of veteran defensemen hitting the market, one interesting name Colorado might want to consider is Morgan Rielly.
The 32-year-old has seemingly been on the block forever. But this summer, things could really be different. The new administration in Toronto is reportedly looking to move on from their longtime blueliner. And so, it wouldn’t hurt for the Avalanche to kick the tires on the former fifth-overall pick from the 2012 NHL Draft.
To be clear, there are two major hurdles to clear in this trade. First, Rielly has a full no-movement clause. So, he’d have to approve a deal to Colorado. That might not be so tough for the Avalanche, as it wouldn’t be a stretch to see Rielly wanting to play for a Stanley Cup contender.
The other issue would be the matter of Rielly’s $7.5 million cap hit. As the Avalanche’s current cap hit stands, there’s no way the Avs could fit Rielly’s cap hit without the Leafs retaining some of that, and the Avs clearing space.
Assuming the math works, the Leafs and Avalanche could work something out. If they did, Rielly wouldn’t be a bad fit for the Avs.
Since the Avs have two elite defensemen in Devon Toews and Cale Makar, there’s no need for Rielly to be a top-pairing guy like he is in Toronto. Assuming that Brent Burns and Brett Kulak do not return, Rielly could well slot in on the left side with, say, Josh Manson on the right side. Manson could continue playing his usual physical role, while Rielly becomes a secondary puck-mover. Even though he’s slowed down a bit over the years, Rielly still has wheels and can play a ton. In fact, it wouldn’t be outrageous to think he could slot in on Makar’s left side. That’s the sort of versatility that Rielly could offer.
What would it cost for the Avalanche to add Rielly?
In this exercise, we’re going to assume the Maple Leafs retain about $2.5 million of Rielly’s salary to bring his cap hit down to about $5 million. That’s a more palatable number for Colorado, but the ask might be a first-round pick in addition to one of the Avalanche’s best prospects.
Since Toronto would be giving up its top defenseman, part of the ask could be Sean Behrens. Additionally, the Avs might have to throw in Ross Colton and his $4 million cap hit to make the math work.
Yes, this deal, as it is laid out, would be an overpay by Joe Sakic. But unless the Avs can actually re-sign Brett Kulak, and either bring back Burns for one more season or find a comparable top-four defenseman who would be willing to play for $1 million AAV, the Avalanche would have to consider other alternatives.
Colorado could do a lot worse than Rielly. But if Kulak prices himself out of Colorado, Rielly, like Darnell Nurse, might not be such a crazy option.
Add us as a preferred source on Google