Leafs reportedly label two members of the core as "untouchables"

According to Jeff Marek, the Maple Leafs have identified which of Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Tavares and Rielly are available and which are untouchable.

There has been some turbulence in Leafs Nation with the firing of Sheldon Keefe yesterday. It is easy to speculate what may come next. Auston Matthews and William Nylander both have "mega" deals starting in the 2024-25 season, so it is not surprising they are being listed as untouchables. Matthews is also coming off a spectacular 69-goal season, while Nylander is coming off a career high in points and a strong playoff outing.

The same cannot be said about Marner, Tavares and Rielly

Mitch Marner has been the talk of the town in recent days after another poor playoff performance and a probable outlandish new contract request incoming. While he's a star, he seems like the obvious choice for a trade.

A John Tavares or Morgan Rielly trade, on the other hand, seems less likely for different reasons.

Tavares is on the tail end of his mega deal he signed in free agency with the Leafs back in 2018, and the truth is he is nowhere near performing at the superstar level he was when he signed the contract. His $11 Million AAV seems almost impossible to trade away, so my thought is he stays put.

Morgan Rielly has been a long-time Leaf, with his career spanning 11 years. He holds a modest contract of $7.5 Million a year. He has been far and away the Leafs' best defender for some time now, so I do not see him being traded unless an offer they cannot refuse arises.

Will Marner, Tavares and Rielly start the season with the Leafs? Well, that's the million dollar question, isn't it?