Player Discussion Morgan Rielly

[Stephen]

Morgan played the 4 most minutes among Leaf defenders in the Stars game. I've been saying for awhile, slotting this guy as our #1 made no sense to me. Is he our 4th best defender no, but he is not a #1 either. Tanev, McCabe and OEL all had more minutes

Rielly is probably a number 3 defenseman by default. If he was properly slotted, you likely don't need to run him out there with your true number one on the top pair, so he could be the stronger partner on your number two unit.

 

[arso40]

Rielly is probably a number 3 defenseman by default. If he was properly slotted, you likely don't need to run him out there with your true number one on the top pair, so he could be the stronger partner on your number two unit.

Good character guy but expensive as hell as a number 3 who’s game is speed and looks slower

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

We need top add another Tanev caliber RD if we're going to have Rielly in the top 4, while keeping Tanev with McCabe.

Tanev really helps cover for Morgan but with McCabe they're Ean elite pair defensively. Rielly with OEL is too unreliable a pair. So we either put Tanev back with Rielly and separate our best pairing, or find another Tanev.

They need a few more RD.

Rielly ---------
McCabe Tanev
OEL ---------

Agreed. But the top pair is Tanev-McCabe. Not sure who we can get until the offseason, but Rielly with Amy of our other D doesn't work.

 

[Martin Skoula]

We need top add another Tanev caliber RD if we're going to have Rielly in the top 4, while keeping Tanev with McCabe.

Tanev really helps cover for Morgan but with McCabe they're Ean elite pair defensively. Rielly with OEL is too unreliable a pair. So we either put Tanev back with Rielly and separate our best pairing, or find another Tanev.


Agreed. But the top pair is Tanev-McCabe. Not sure who we can get until the offseason, but Rielly with Amy of our other D doesn't work.

The problem with Rielly-Tanev or any pick of defensive D partner is that Rielly’s problem isn’t even D zone coverage (not that it’s good) but how often he voluntarily does something to lose the o-zone. If he wasn’t a shinpad sniper and made better decisions offensively he’d have to play a fraction of the defense he currently does. That and he’s not really dangerous offensively until the other team forgets he exists and he sneaks into the circles uncovered, the other team can focus their attention on the forwards and he can’t do much to take advantage of it without giving up position.

Watching the new generation OFDs and Rielly is night and day, you can’t have your only OFD only be effective in the neutral zone and at the circles. The 5F PP is the right call imo, id rather have Nylander and Marner distributing and I’d probably rather have them on the backcheck.

 

[Skullz]

He has been slow to start. Roy would have been awesome in the offseason. A different partner would be a good addition.

 

[arso40]

He has been slow to start. Roy would have been awesome in the offseason. A different partner would be a good addition.

Oels been great but if Roy would have signed here that was a bad signing…..he’s playing better than Rielly but roy would stabilize that pair and we’ve been looking at Roy for a couple years now

 

[WTFMAN99]

I like the guy but I would look to get away from him in the off-season.

Not worth the price and Tree never signed him to that extension but I suspect if anything he'd have a small window of places he'd go to, his parents are in BC.

Maybe Calgary, Vancouver, Seattle and Los Angeles would be acceptable destinations if he were to be willing to waive.

 

[ACC1224]

I like the guy but I would look to get away from him in the off-season.

Not worth the price and Tree never signed him to that extension but I suspect if anything he'd have a small window of places he'd go to, his parents are in BC.

Maybe Calgary, Vancouver, Seattle and Los Angeles would be acceptable destinations if he were to be willing to waive.

Think his wife is from Windsor, so maybe Detroit as well.

IMO, in these cases I think the wife has the greatest say.

 

[thewave]

The Rielly red flag is very concerning. He needs to be better if he wants to keep that A. He looks disinterested and not very good. Let's go Morgan. Stop daydreaming with your wife and kid or they are going to be ashamed at your hockey career and hide from the public.

Do it for the children Mo. Do it for your legacy. Now get your head back in the game.

 

[WTFMAN99]

Think his wife is from Windsor, so maybe Detroit as well.

IMO, in these cases I think the wife has the greatest say.

Detroit actually has a bit of a need at need at LD or defense in general, the quality of their defense after Edvinsson and Seider drops immensely.

I don't know what we're really looking at as a return though...Gustafsson and/or Compher perhaps? Right shot centre is a need.

 

[BraveCanadian]

The Rielly red flag is very concerning. He needs to be better if he wants to keep that A. He looks disinterested and not very good. Let's go Morgan. Stop daydreaming with your wife and kid or they are going to be ashamed at your hockey career and hide from the public.

Do it for the children Mo. Do it for your legacy. Now get your head back in the game.

lol get a grip.. it’s a game, don’t threaten his wife and kids wtf

Besides Rielly makes enough that if Leafs fans are really this classy they can live just fine away from the public eye without a care in the world.

 

[thewave]

lol get a grip.. it’s a game, don’t threaten his wife and kids wtf

Besides Rielly makes enough that if Leafs fans are really this classy they can live just fine away from the public eye without a care in the world.

There was no threat. I said they will be ashamed lol. It's a joke! But he does need to get his ass going and playing well again. It's gone on for over a year now.

I don't want to be one of the fans that sits here and has to say, we would have had that game 7 if Rielly actually performed.

 

[Jimmy Firecracker]

His struggles are why I was really hoping we could’ve come away with 2 righties on D this offseason. Tanev along with Roy or Pesce would’ve really solidified the back-end. OEL has been solid but he ain’t a righty. Should’ve let Liljegren walk and ignored Hakanpaa to get a deal done.

 

[Hellcat]

Rielly is probably a number 3 defenseman by default. If he was properly slotted, you likely don't need to run him out there with your true number one on the top pair, so he could be the stronger partner on your number two unit.

I think that is a fair an honest assessment. It only took 4 (?) coaches to figure that out....

He has been slow to start. Roy would have been awesome in the offseason. A different partner would be a good addition.

I was really hoping we would get Roy instead of OEL. With that said OEL has far exceeded my expectations, although he is prone to occasional bouts of brain dead.

 

[Hellcat]

Think his wife is from Windsor, so maybe Detroit as well.

IMO, in these cases I think the wife has the greatest say.

... it was the reason why Pronger was traded from Edmonton, his wife couldn't handle the weather. She who knows how to control her gold, controls the world.

Detroit actually has a bit of a need at need at LD or defense in general, the quality of their defense after Edvinsson and Seider drops immensely.

I don't know what we're really looking at as a return though...Gustafsson and/or Compher perhaps? Right shot centre is a need.

I'd ask for a center / power LW

 

[mapleleaf979]

Reilly has the worst contract on the Leafs. He is a very average dman, the Leafs d-core has been bad for over 15 years and it made him look good. He will become Jake Gardiner very soon, booed out of town. I think a massive playoff blunder will itrigger that this year. Leafs can easily get to the 2nd round and mistakes will be blown up in this market. Reilly has low hockey IQ, he gets buy with his skating, which is also going down hill. Reilly also has low determination/low interest to defend, low confidence/guesses constantly with his decisions vs outsmarting others.

 

[WTFMAN99]

... it was the reason why Pronger was traded from Edmonton, his wife couldn't handle the weather. She who knows how to control her gold, controls the world.



I'd ask for a center / power LW

JT Compher is a right shot centre who can play middle 6 so that would be good.

They don't really have an available LW that would appeal to me.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Reilly has the worst contract on the Leafs. He is a very average dman, the Leafs d-core has been bad for over 15 years and it made him look good. He will become Jake Gardiner very soon, booed out of town. I think a massive playoff blunder will itrigger that this year. Leafs can easily get to the 2nd round and mistakes will be blown up in this market. Reilly has low hockey IQ, he gets buy with his skating, which is also going down hill. Reilly also has low determination/low interest to defend, low confidence/guesses constantly with his decisions vs outsmarting others.

I lost interest in Rielly after da screw up in OT in Boston .. bottom line he just makes too many terrible defensive decisions at critical points .. he really is NOT a dman .. and he does not make enough rushes leading to goals to make up for deadly defensive errors .. bottom line I do love his leadership skills and he always says da right things (like i said he should have been captain) but his defensive screw ups are just too much for team to overcome da past 2 years

 

[arso40]

I lost interest in Rielly after da screw up in OT in Boston .. bottom line he just makes too many terrible defensive decisions at critical points .. he really is NOT a dman .. and he does not make enough rushes leading to goals to make up for deadly defensive errors .. bottom line I do love his leadership skills and he always says da right things (like i said he should have been captain) but his defensive screw ups are just too much for team to overcome da past 2 years

But we’re gonna keep getting rid of other players instead I rather have sandin and lily as a pair they cost the same as rielly roughly and they’re better than the bottom pair for sure

 

[Mr_Fun]

He definitely has been struggling lately. Need him to get the offense going again! It's not uncommon for a Dman to be at his best around the age of 30 so I'm not so sure one can attribute this simply to age related decline.

His -9 is not ignorable; it seems like the bulk of that is from December alone (I have no idea if true or not but he has struggled lately, regardless).

At any rate, I'm not quite writing him off as he could very well have a great 2nd half of the season. He still has the tools.

 

[Budz]

I’d like to ship him to Van City for Miller.

 

[Larcos_Unal]

Mo was never a great dman, he just doesn't have the instincts of a #1, but he got away with a lot due to his skating. His shot is laughable, his vision is average, he could just outskate his errors.

It's now a combination of him getting a little too beefy for his frame, and the age creeping up and he simply can't blow past people like he used to. It's not all negative though, he's a consummate teammate and he's got a scorching hot wife in addition to 7 figures in the bank...he'll be ok.

 

[Skullz]

Time to explore what a trade could look like in my opinion.

I have loved him and advocated for him always. But he seems to have lost a step, and the decline in offense no longer makes up for his defence inadequacy.

 

[nuck]

I like the guy but I would look to get away from him in the off-season.

Not worth the price and Tree never signed him to that extension but I suspect if anything he'd have a small window of places he'd go to, his parents are in BC.

Maybe Calgary, Vancouver, Seattle and Los Angeles would be acceptable destinations if he were to be willing to waive.

The club has never been comfortable with moving regular players who had any game left. They have a hoarder's mentality Maybe after another failed playoff they would look at a big move like that, but they would still need to win the trade right? And that is a massive contract for a 3-4 guy so any partner would need to have a lot of cap space and who feel he is a top pair talent.

I think after another playoff failure the players would be less inclined to enforce their NMs but it would require a perfect storm for a Mo deal to move the club forward. Unless they want to retain or move him for another contract with some warts like Kadri.

 

[WTFMAN99]

The club has never been comfortable with moving regular players who had any game left. They have a hoarder's mentality Maybe after another failed playoff they would look at a big move like that, but they would still need to win the trade right? And that is a massive contract for a 3-4 guy so any partner would need to have a lot of cap space and who feel he is a top pair talent.

I think after another playoff failure the players would be less inclined to enforce their NMs but it would require a perfect storm for a Mo deal to move the club forward. Unless they want to retain or move him for another contract with some warts like Kadri.

I don't think the trade would be crazy

Detroit - Compher
Seattle - Oleksiak
Calgary - Weegar? We'd need to add to Rielly or maybe Coleman
Vancouver - Garland and/or Soucy
Los Angeles - Not sure what the deal looks