Maple Leafs Pondering Big Blueline Addition, But it Hinges on Moving Morgan Rielly

The Florida Panthers are going to play a massive role in how the July free agent frenzy unravels. With Sam Bennett, Aaron Ekblad, Brad Marchand, and Nate Schmidt needing new contracts, all eyes will be fixated on Bill Zito and how he handles his business.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to be very involved because they have serious interest in Bennett, Ekblad, and Marchand, and according to Nick Kypreos, they're expected to make offers on all three.

Their interest in Bennett and Marchand makes complete sense, especially when you factor in Mitch Marner walking into free agency, however there seems to be a stipulation on Ekblad and that hinges on whether or not they can get Morgan Rielly to waive his NMC.

Acquiring Ekblad and replacing him for Rielly in the every day lineup would make a world of difference. While Ekblad might not be as offensively potent as Rielly, he remains a stout an sturdy defensive option for the top pair.

He averaged 23:31 TOI this season with 33 points in 56 games before adding 13 points in 19 contests across 24 minutes a game during the post-season. The 6'4, 220 pound blueliner is responsible in all zones, is much more reliable defensively, and can play all situations.

It's not going to be easy but finding a way to get Rielly to waive his NMC is crucial. He has every right to reject their advances, like Marner did this past season, but that could cause serious issues between team and player.

From a managerial perspective, it's not impossible as we've seen it happen with the New York Rangers in recent years. They found a way to move Jacob Trouba, Barclay Goodrow, and Chris Kreider who all carried clauses in their contract but GM Chris Drury found a way to make it work.

Brad Treliving has the opportunity to improve and bolster his backend with the acquisition of Ekblad this summer but it completely hinges on how he can maneuver his way around Rielly and his contract stipulations.