The Toronto Maple Leafs May Have Just Found Morgan Rielly's Replacement

Morgan Rielly had seven goals and 41 points this season, which is quite the decline from his 58-point campaign in 2023-24.

Moreover, he was a defensive liability at times and finished with a plus-minus of -8. This has led to numerous rumors about the defenseman's future in Toronto and whether or not he should be traded.

Meanwhile, there is a 23-year-old defenseman blossoming in Buffalo right now by the name of Bowen Byram. He had seven goals and 38 points this past season and somehow finished at +11 despite playing on a bottom-feeder.

According to Elliotte Friedman, the Sabres are thinking about trading Byram. As Maple Leafs Daily explains, this could create a unique opportunity for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

With Rielly starting to waiver, perhaps dealing him to the Sabres for Byram could be considered a fair trade.

While the defenseman does make $7.5 million, the Sabres have the cap space to deal with him. Furthermore, he is a player who can add some veteran leadership to what is a very young team.

As for the Leafs, acquiring Byram would add some youthful exuberance to the defensive core.

Not to mention, Byram would be entering his prime soon, while Rielly is someone who is entering a decline in his career.

Of course, this is all conjecture, and there is no telling what is going to happen next. However, this is something for general manager Brad Treliving to consider this summer.

If you're a Buffalo Sabres fan, you can't help but wonder what the plan is here. Defensemen like Byram don't grow on trees, and to trade him away is simply unfathomable.