Rielly was terrible this playoffs, but of all the players on the entire freaking roster, he is the one who has earned some rope and the chance to bounce back.
He has been the one who produces real leadership when it has mattered. He has been the one to consistently raise his game in the post season. He just put up 58p in 72 games and is our only blueliner with even a single sniff of offensive talent. We all know his warts. He's not the #1 offensive god that some of us tout him as on the mains, but he plays 23 minutes a night, year in, year out, and wins those minutes. We need a Muzzin and a PP QB to take the roles from Rielly that he doesn't thrive in, but he's one of the last players we should be sending out the door.
I understand the need for accountability on this team and the need for change, but when we talk about stuff like accountability, leadership, and loyalty, there's comparisons at play. If Marner can suck for 6 years of bloated contract before getting turfed, and Rielly gets run out of town after eleven years of blood and guts, then one bad playoff where he was puck watching on the OT winner, things aren't even.
He's a 23 minutes, 40ES points defender, with low end second pairing defensive ability, and the only player in the "core" with leadership abilities. I cannot begin to describe how much of a mistake it would be to move on from Rielly now. Try this thread again when he's had a second bad playoffs.