The NHL trade mill is always churning, and when you combine the two biggest media markets in Canada—the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Edmonton Oilers—the noise can get deafening. Recently, former NHL GM Doug MacLean lit a fire under the fanbase by suggesting a one-for-one swap: Morgan Rielly for Darnell Nurse.
As someone who has analyzed the salary cap era since its inception, I have to be the bearer of bad news for anyone excited about this: this is a “change of scenery” trade that likely creates more problems than it solves, specifically for Toronto. MacLean mentioned on the ‘Real Kyper & Bourne Show‘ that he would make this move “in a heartbeat,” citing that Rielly is no longer a number one defenseman. While he might be right about Rielly’s current tier, the solution isn’t taking on a more expensive contract.
Comparing Contracts: Morgan Rielly vs. Darnell Nurse
Let’s look at the financials, which are the lifeblood of any modern trade. Both defensemen are deep into eight-year deals. However, Nurse carries a $9.25 million cap hit, while Rielly sits at $7.5 million. That is a $1.75 million difference. In the flat-cap world we just exited, and the tight-cap world the Leafs always live in, absorbing nearly $2 million in extra space for a player who provides less offense is bad asset management.
From a stylistic standpoint, the argument is that Nurse brings the grit (nearly 800 more hits than Rielly over their careers) that Toronto lacks. But the Leafs don’t need a chaotic, physical presence who struggles with defensive positioning; they need mobile, puck-moving stability. Rielly, despite his defensive warts, produces points (533 in 897 games vs. Nurse’s 310 in 742). Trading your primary offensive catalyst on the back end for a heavier, more expensive defender is a step sideways, if not backward.
If the Leafs are going to ask Rielly to waive his No-Movement Clause (NMC)—which is a massive “if”—the return needs to be cap flexibility or a true defensive stalwart, not a similar distressed asset with a higher price tag. This trade works in a video game, but in the reality of the 2025-26 NHL season, it’s a hard pass.
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