Free Agent Frenzy on July 1 continues to draw closer and TSN.ca keeps you up to date with all the latest news and rumours as the NHL off-season heats up.
Rielly trade watch in Toronto
TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston shut down rumours Tuesday as he reported that Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly has not waived his no-move clause for any possible trade.
A trade, however, still appears to be very much on the table with TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun writing in The Athletic that Rielly’s agent, J.P. Barry, has given the Leafs a list of teams that would interest the veteran defenceman. LeBrun notes that most of the teams listed are believed to be in the Western Conference, though he does not believe the Vancouver Canucks are among them.
LeBrun writes that the San Jose Sharks make sense as a possible landing spot and notes that the list is not final, meaning Rielly would consider a deal another team if approached by general manager John Chayka.
Chayka made his first major move as Maple Leafs general manager on Tuesday, sending goaltender Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for restricted free agents Emil Andrae, Samuel Ersson and a 2026 third-round pick.
TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger wrote Tuesday he was informed one day earlier that teams were doing their “due diligence” on Woll and Maple Leafs winger Matthew Knies, with a deal for the goaltender coming together quickly. Knies continues to hear his name in the rumour mill after also being surrounded by speculation ahead of the trade deadline.
The 23-year-old Knies had 23 goals and 66 points in 79 games this past season in the first of a six-year extension that carries a cap hit of $7.75 million.
Jonas Siegel of The Athletic also reports that conversations between Barry and Chayka are ongoing, but believes significant hurdles remain in the way of a trade, such as Rielly’s no-move clause and whether the Maple Leafs are willing to retain salary on Rielly’s $7.5 million cap hit.
Siegel wondered if a swap for Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser could make sense, though Boeser’s $7.25 million cap hit runs two years longer than Rielly’s deal, which expires in 2029-30.
“While the Leafs don’t have to trade Rielly, there’s a growing belief that it might just be time — for both team and player,” Siegel writes. “Whether because of his own struggles, the team’s unexpected struggles, the many controversies that came with it, or all that decade-plus under the microscope in Toronto, Rielly looked like he needed a change last season.”
Rielly had 11 goals and 36 points in 78 games with the Maple Leafs last season while averaging 21:08 of ice time. He finished the year minus-18, his worst mark since 2017 when he was minus-20.
“I’ve always wanted to stay. I still want to stay,” Rielly told reporters during the team’s locker cleanout in April.
He added at that time he was not interested in speculating on whether he would consider waiving his full no-move clause if asked by the team.
“Hard to comment when that conversation hasn’t happened,” Rielly said.
Selected fifth overall in the 2012 NHL draft, Rielly has appeared in 951 career games for the Maple Leafs, sitting seventh all-time in games played.
Market forming for Laine?
LeBrun also reports that there is “a decent level of interest” in pending unrestricted free agent Patrik Laine after his injury-plagued year with the Montreal Canadiens.
He writes that Laine is eligible for a low-risk contract with performance-based bonuses since he spent more than 100 days on injured reserve this season. LeBrun believes Laine will be of interest to any team looking for a boost to their power play.
Laine suited up in just five games early in the season for Montreal before a core muscle injury took him out of the lineup and later required surgery.
With his recovery expected at three to four months, Laine eventually returned to practice for the Canadiens but wouldn’t draw into the lineup again for the remainder of the season. He confirmed earlier this month that he was medically cleared to play in the postseason, but never got the call.
“I kind of figured early on that I probably wasn’t even going to be playing since I had been out for four, five months,” Laine said during the team’s locker cleanout. “Guys are battling for a playoff spot, and all the guys were playing great. I’d figured I probably won’t be playing but I’ll take this time to support the guys and work hard.
“If the call comes, it comes. If it doesn’t, still keep working. It’s only going to help me in the future, when you work hard every day. That’s kind of how I saw it this year.”
The 28-year-old winger joined the Canadiens via trade in August of 2024, arriving from the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for defenceman Jordan Harris and a second-round pick.
In his first season with Montreal in 2024-25, Laine scored 20 goals with 33 points in 52 games. Fourteen of his goals came on the power play and had five game winners.
He enters the summer coming off a four-year, $34.8 million contract.
Carlson’s Ducks tenure over
Veteran defenceman John Carlson and his agent have informed Anaheim Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek that he will not be re-signing with the club.
LeBrun reports the two sides talked about a potential extension but the 36-year-old blueliner has chosen to move on, with a preference to return to the Eastern Conference.
“I’ve had good discussions with Pat,” Carlson’s agent Rick Curran told LeBrun for The Athletic. “I told him how much John enjoyed his time in Anaheim. But his preference is to return and play in the East, closer to family and the familiarity with it. Pat was naturally disappointed but completely understood.”
Carlson spent the majority of his 17-year NHL career with the Washington Capitals before he was dealt to the Ducks at this year’s trade deadline.
LeBrun adds that there will be strong interest in the 36-year-old blueliner, with at least four or five Eastern Conference teams in the mix for his services. Prior to being traded, Carlson and the Capitals were discussing a two-year extension with an average annual value of $9 million that would have kept him in Washington through the 2027-28 season.
When free agency opens on July 1, LeBrun believes Carlson could sign a two-year deal worth $10 million per season or more. Should Darren Raddysh walk as an unrestricted free agent, the Tampa Bay Lightning are one team that could have serious interest in Carlson.
Carlson is No. 6 on TSN Hockey’s Top 30 UFA List.
