Player Discussion Morgan Rielly

[sunstersun]

We gotta dump Rielly.

OEL is like 10 times better at half the price.

 

[Stephen]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1850356209825534240

Here we go again in OT again in Boston .. Rielly dives in wrong direction with no hope of getting to puck taking himself out of play completely .. all a decent defensive D would do is skate into Marchand and take him out of play so he can't score on rebound .. let Matty take Pasta .. tender has to make initial save on Marchand which he did .. this is a routine defensive play with another brain fart .. this is NOT how a 1D plays in OT .. how much evidence do folks need .. Berube already knows Rielly is a problem for him

I don't think you can "blame" Rielly for anything on that play but at the same time the belly flop scramble and sliding past Marchand in full panic wasn't the best way to defend that.

Why a defenseman was so far up the ice and looking to go Pavel Bure with two tired forwards back would be another story.

 

[Al14]

We gotta dump Rielly.

OEL is like 10 times better at half the price.

As much as I'd like to see Rielly retire as a Leaf, I do agree he's not great defensively, or offensively. He does not possess a bomb of a shot from the point. His rushes from the back end are getting fewer and less effective.

Rielly is beginning to look more and more like an acceptable 2nd pair D. That makes his current cap hit more and more like an over payment.

I don't agree that our Leafs should dump him, however a good hockey trade might be a smart move to make soon.

 

[ULF_55]

As much as I'd like to see Rielly retire as a Leaf, I do agree he's not great defensively, or offensively. He does not possess a bomb of a shot from the point. His rushes from the back end are getting fewer and less effective.

Rielly is beginning to look more and more like an acceptable 2nd pair D. That makes his current cap hit more and more like an over payment.

I don't agree that our Leafs should dump him, however a good hockey trade might be a smart move to make soon.

He's fine.

Has always needed a strong defensive partner to support him.

He's probably paid appropriately today, if he was UFA he'd get near that money and play 2nd. pairing.

If overpaid, it's only by 1 - 1.5 million, but that is what happens on longer term contracts. Players age.

 

[Maple Leaf]

We gotta dump Rielly.

OEL is like 10 times better at half the price.

One prblem i have with rielly is leafs have not accomploshedm anything with his as the point guardn maybe a bad luck curse bma or maybe it is RIELLY

 

[TMLAM34]

I used to defend Rielly, but he’s making it more and more difficult to do so. His defence is a liability or close to it. His impact on the offensive side is getting less and less effective and at 7.5 million towards the cap it’s not very ideal.

I do love his heart and passion towards Toronto and was ecstatic when he was the first “star” to take a long term deal at a “discounted” price at the time.

However I wouldn’t be upset to see a change of scenery here, especially if this team has another disappointing post season.

 

[Ports]

I just roll my eyes at most of the Rielly talk. Guy has been our #1D, playing ~23 minutes a night for most of a decade, is a plus player, good advanced stats, and has been trusted by every coach he's had.

He's far from perfect. He's awful at 2on1's, he's not a good fit on our PP, and he has stretches where he's not great. But what he does bring, is that he's outstanding in transition, something we absolutely want considering our team is built around elite forwards, he's completely passable defensively, he's one of the team's most important leaders, and the Leafs have scored more goals for than against when he's on the ice for 20 minutes a night for almost a decade.

That people love to shit all over a defenceman who plays 20+ minutes a night and wins his minutes is just... so, so silly. Yeah, he's got brain farts and defensive warts, but if he didn't he'd be a multi-Norris winner. And for goodness sakes, he's nowhere near the disaster defensively (aside from 2 on 1's, he's absolutely hopeless at those) that people make him out to be. It's like people see 50 points in a defenseman's stats column and unless they're Scott Niedermayer defensively, it must mean they suck. If he didn't have any of his offensive talent, he'd still be a second pairing defenceman on 30 teams in the league based on his skating and defensive work. He's not a puck watcher, he's fine along the boards, and is exactly where he's supposed to be in the offensive and defensive ends at almost all times. Yes, I am arguing that he is nothing more than "fine" defensively, but when you combine that with the fact that he's an elite offensive producer and can be trusted for 20 minutes+ for 82 games and playoffs, you should realize that he's an extremely effective player and integral part of our team.

Every time he struggles for a stretch he takes his turn in the scapegoat barrel, he inevitably shakes whatever is ailing him off and then goes absolutely beastmode for four months to make everyone look silly. He'll have to suck for two years before I write him off.

Rielly ? Beast Mode ? Really. I must have missed that.

 

[thewave]

Rielly ? Beast Mode ? Really. I must have missed that.

From the look on his face all I see is feast mode

 

[Ports]

If Morgan isn’t putting up points what’s he good for? Certainly not his defensive superiority……….


No it isn’t, but good luck trading him………

He’s got a full NMC until 2028 anyways. Then 10 team list the last two years. We’re stuck with him.

People sure have a short memory.

He was 9th in ppg amongst defensemen last year. So if he regressed, I guess he mustve been a perennial Norris calibre defenseman before last year?

People are letting a lackluster first few games and his only non-elite showing in the playoffs last year to say he's washed. That's literally 12 games people are putting more stock into than his 796 game career.

Is Matthews washed too? His last 10 games have been very much average.

Rielly had a terrible year and playoff last year. This isn’t just recent issue.

 

[ULF_55]

He’s got a full NMC until 2028 anyways. Then 10 team list the last two years. We’re stuck with him.


Rielly had a terrible year and playoff last year. This isn’t just recent issue.

They don't have to deploy based on Salary Cap.

Using him on the 2nd. pairing might be the solution.

Ekman-Larsson - Tanev
Rielly - McCabe
Benoir - Hakanpaa

 

[Ports]

Why is he so bad defensively after this long? He's like a 10 year vet lol.

Lack of effort, grit and heart defensively and lack of imagination offensively are a bad combo for a so-called #1 dman. In reality he’s at best a second pairing dman who wouldn’t run the PP on a cup contender nor play high leverage minutes against good teams. Should have been traded after his 20 goal season.

 

[Ports]

You can call Mo a bunch of things, but a 'puss' or a coward he is not at all.

He absolutely is. He doesn’t touch anybody in front of the net just flails away at the puck. When was the last time he stood up a forward at the blue line or laid a big hit in the corner ? He weighs 220 lbs but plays like he’s 175.

 

[Ports]

Mo hasn't been good at all this year. With that said how many defenseman are available every year that are better then he is and would improve our team. The answer is usually none. Top 15 D men league wide are just usually not available so we are stuck with mo for better or worse.

First of all Rielly isn’t a top 15 dman and Treliving picked up two better defensemen in Tanev and OEL who both make substantially less than what Rielly’s being paid.

 

[Ports]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1850356209825534240

Here we go again in OT again in Boston .. Rielly dives in wrong direction with no hope of getting to puck taking himself out of play completely .. all a decent defensive D would do is skate into Marchand and take him out of play so he can't score on rebound .. let Matty take Pasta .. tender has to make initial save on Marchand which he did .. this is a routine defensive play with another brain fart .. this is NOT how a 1D plays in OT .. how much evidence do folks need .. Berube already knows Rielly is a problem for him

That was a dumb, gutless play by Rielly but then again he specializes in those.

 

[Ports]

I used to defend Rielly, but he’s making it more and more difficult to do so. His defence is a liability or close to it. His impact on the offensive side is getting less and less effective and at 7.5 million towards the cap it’s not very ideal.

I do love his heart and passion towards Toronto and was ecstatic when he was the first “star” to take a long term deal at a “discounted” price at the time.

However I wouldn’t be upset to see a change of scenery here, especially if this team has another disappointing post season.

Was it really a discount? Other teams might not have been as high on Rielly as Dubas was. Certainly a lot of fans saw him for what he was. Defensively weak and very predictable offensively with a muffin of a shot from the point.

 

[ULF_55]

Was it really a discount? Other teams might not have been as high on Rielly as Dubas was. Certainly a lot of fans saw him for what he was. Defensively weak and very predictable offensively with a muffin of a shot from the point.

He had wheels.

Other things he had were okay.

 

[arso40]

One prblem i have with rielly is leafs have not accomploshedm anything with his as the point guardn maybe a bad luck curse bma or maybe it is RIELLY

We’ve been building around him for nothing

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

At least Rielly recognizes the need to change up the powerplay and lets himself get taken off of the top unit in favour of OEL. More than I can say for the four forward who refuse to entertain the idea. And he still goes out there and contributes offensively. Still has defensive warts but the guy has more intangibles and will to win than most of the core.

 

[LeafGrief]

Rielly ? Beast Mode ? Really. I must have missed that.

 

[Ports]

At least Rielly recognizes the need to change up the powerplay and lets himself get taken off of the top unit in favour of OEL. More than I can say for the four forward who refuse to entertain the idea. And he still goes out there and contributes offensively. Still has defensive warts but the guy has more intangibles and will to win than most of the core.

You really believe it’s up to the players who plays on PP1 ? I agree that the forward group needs to be changed up too but it’s not the players refusing to come off it, it’s a coaching decision. Rielly seems like a character guy but it doesn’t translate to his play on the ice and that’s more important.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

You really believe it’s up to the players who plays on PP1 ? I agree that the forward group needs to be changed up too but it’s not the players refusing to come off it, it’s a coaching decision. Rielly seems like a character guy but it doesn’t translate to his play on the ice and that’s more important.

This is the second head coach (potentially third I can’t recall the powerplay unit under Babcock when Willy finally re-signed and those few games before he was canned) and fourth assistant coach that the same four guys forwards occupying the top spots, with rapidly diminishing results.

I’m to believe multiple head and assistant coaches are all making the same exact personnel decisions and preaching the same tactics that have led to this crappy powerplay? Because right now nothing about it looks any different than it did under Boucher, Carbery, or Malhotra. It’s still the drop pass, it’s still poor zone entries, it’s still got zero speed.

Either every coach thinks the exact same and we’re all wasting time hiring and firing multiple guys, or someone else or multiple others are choosing who gets to go out there every man advantage. Maybe it’s the players, maybe it’s Shanahan. I don’t know, but what I do know is that after watching the same powerplay fall off every time we’re late into the season and then having it choke every post season I’m confident in saying absolutely nothing about it right now looks innovative or different. That won’t happen until whoever is really in charge finally decides to rip the band-aid off and splits them up.

 

[hamzarocks]

Rielly has been better past 2 or so games

Getting more offense, providing more looks, less dumb icings.

Hopefully can step it up and be 60+ pt player with not costly brainfarts for us

 

[sxvnert]

Hes so terrible defensively even Tanev is being dragged down to his level.

 

[arso40]

Rielly has been better past 2 or so games

Getting more offense, providing more looks, less dumb icings.

Hopefully can step it up and be 60+ pt player with not costly brainfarts for us

Would you rather McCabe at his cap hit or Rielly at his?

 

[hamzarocks]

Would you rather McCabe at his cap hit or Rielly at his?

If rielly is playing like he has now then McCabe

If Rielly bounces back and plays like he has often in the playoffs then pretty easily him