Player Discussion Morgan Rielly

[BraveCanadian]

Yeah his skating and his partners used to cover up for his warts defensively but now he’s lost half a step and it’s very apparent.

How a guy could play professional hockey for years and have no sense of where to be positionally is crazy but there it is..

 

[KPower]

He’s lost…wtf is wrong with him?

 

[mapleleaf979]

He’s lost…wtf is wrong with him?

No hockey sense, no confidence. Its nothing new. He is a great skater who can transport the puck, nothing more.

 

[CelticDruid]

No hockey sense, no confidence. Its nothing new. He is a great skater who can transport the puck, nothing more.

In that case we should convert a kangaroo to carry the puck up in its pouch and save 7mil.

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

Yeah his skating and his partners used to cover up for his warts defensively but now he’s lost half a step and it’s very apparent.

How a guy could play professional hockey for years and have no sense of where to be positionally is crazy but there it is..

I see the same thing. He hasn't followed the trajectory of other smooth-skating offensive defensemen who adapted their game as they lost a step to improve their positioning, reads, physicality, etc. OEL is a good example of that. Ron Hainsey was another guy who became better defensively as he got older and became less offensive.

 

[Ports]

He needs to unlock some physicality at this point in his career and evolve

That doesn’t normally happen although Patches is an example of that. I just think Rielly is way too comfortable in his role with the team and losing big games. You rarely see him make the extra effort and his defensive mistakes and lack of creativity with the puck is a real problem. He’s a one dimensional player who used to have the wheels to separate himself while carrying the puck up the ice but even that’s becoming a distant memory. It’s an issue for a team that wants to be a cup contender when they’re highest paid dman who takes 35% of their dman cap has to play on their 3rd pair.

all is forgiven if he shows up big in the playoffs like usual

Played well in the Tampa series two years ago but he was awful last year in the playoffs.

 

[Ports]

I love how everyone is putting Reilly in mock trades for Petersson or JT Miller or whoever and conveniently ignore the fact he has a NMC and will likely not agree to a trade sending him anywhere. Regardless of what you think of him as a person or a player or whether he deserves a full NMC in his contract, that is what he wanted and that is what the team gave him in contract negotiations

You’re right. He has the right to refuse to be moved but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t talk to him about it. It can get uncomfortable for players when the organization and coach have lost confidence in them.

He is somewhere around 30th highest paid Dman in the league. He took a discount at the time considering his 20 goal season was only 2 or 3 removed from that contract. It was reported at the time he could get 8+ on the open market.

Wish he would have taken more money elsewhere. Dubas was a fool to sign him to eight years with a full NMC. That 20 goal season was an aberration. You don’t pay a player to be your #1 dman who can’t play defense.

 

[sunstersun]

Predicting Morgan Rielly was gonna decline early and age poorly is hockey 101.

 

[mapleleaf979]

Morgan has always been 10-15 lbs overweight, especially now. He needs to lose that and his speed will come back. He def doesnt need that 15 lbs in the corner, he doesnt go there. Reilly is our 3rd or 4th best dman. Tanev is clearly 1, OEL is 2. McCabe is more valuable in the playoffs than Reilly based on his physicality. I would rather have McCabe than Reilly, so for me Reilly is 4. He has no confidence, has no pride in the d zone, yet cant run pp1 @ 7.5 per.

 

[ToneDog]

Can the Canucks take this guy back with them after Saturday's game and leave JT Miller behind?

 

[TheMadHatTrick]

At one time Rielly's deal was considered a steal. Now it seems like he's stealing our money. lol

 

[Gilmour1996]

Many thought that one day he'd make a good captain. However, the ferry to Robidas Iskand already has a captain.

 

[sxvnert]

Five more years at 7.5m.

 

[mclaren55]

Wish he would have taken more money elsewhere. Dubas was a fool to sign him to eight years with a full NMC. That 20 goal season was an aberration. You don’t pay a player to be your #1 dman who can’t play defense.

So you don't think a defenseman that averages 48 points a year since entering the league is worth 7.5? Guess you would have gotten him signed for 5 somehow.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

Gents it will only get worse as his skating drops off as I mentioned when deal was signed .. also like i said once he becomes a complete liability in next couple years he will be completely out of da league .. and we will carry 7M of dead space for 3 years .. i think you will see Berube limit his minutes late in games now and then in playoffs he is likely to see even fewer minutes as Shanny's future is decided by Berube .. that said hopefully we get lucky and get a Tampa matchup where he could be more effective due to opposition playing style .. against Cats and/or Bruins he will have to ride da pine

 

[Ports]

So you don't think a defenseman that averages 48 points a year since entering the league is worth 7.5? Guess you would have gotten him signed for 5 somehow.

I would have traded him before that contract. I won’t go through his litany of weaknesses as a defenseman as they’re all over this thread. He’s a $7.5M boat anchor at this point with a full NMC for another 5 years. Dubas’ worst signing and that say a lot.

 

[CapspaceKiller]

He's falling off quickly, he's not even close to the best defenseman on the team. His skating is obviously not the same and its likely due to injuries and age.

At least the cap hit won't be painful as the cap keeps going up.

 

[budzz]

He's falling off quickly, he's not even close to the best defenseman on the team. His skating is obviously not the same and its likely due to injuries and age.

At least the cap hit won't be painful as the cap keeps going up.

It's not just his skating... it's overall indifference to playing D. Doesn't seem to have any urgency getting to pucks faster than the opposition. On top of that, his actual salary this year is 10 million... you'd think that would be enough motivation right there.

I usually try not to trash our own players and give them the benefit of the doubt but it's just painful to watch some nights. We could use one more top 4 D and push him to the bottom pair for good, salary be damned.

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

He's falling off quickly, he's not even close to the best defenseman on the team. His skating is obviously not the same and its likely due to injuries and age.

At least the cap hit won't be painful as the cap keeps going up.

He was never going to age well. He's only good because he's relatively heavy with explosive skating. There's few players with a better first couple steps than him and in this era he gets a greenlight to go every time. No hands, no shot, decent passing, IQ is questionable, and a bunch of major leg injuries. Everything we were told about Hyman and why we couldn't sign him actually applies to Rielly. They also told us his deal was a bargain lool.

 

[sunstersun]

He was never going to age well. He's only good because he's relatively heavy with explosive skating. There's few players with a better first couple steps than him and in this era he gets a greenlight to go every time. No hands, no shot, decent passing, IQ is questionable, and a bunch of major leg injuries. Everything we were told about Hyman and why we couldn't sign him actually applies to Rielly. They also told us his deal was a bargain lool.

Also, his gap control is AWFUL. Dude how have you not managed to get better at something mental for OVER A DECADE.

 

[mclaren55]

They also told us his deal was a bargain lool.

It was a bargain at the time if you look at comps. Everyone has such a short memory here. He had over 50 points LAST year, yet 7.5 is too much? List the other Dmen that have averaged what Rielly has his whole career, and let me know what they make;

McAvoy - 9.5
Heiskanen - 8.5
Doughty - 11.0
Klingberg - 4.1 (Turned down an 8mx7 Contract)
Dahlin - 11.0
Weber - 8.0 (14 years)

Rielly did take a discount whether you guys like it or not. (I'm not saying he is better or worse than those players, obviously Doughty and Dahlin are excellent D). He is basically paid Devon Toews money.

I get everyone freaking out this year, he has looked like dog shit for the past month and change. Lets see how it goes this playoffs for him and make a determination at that point.

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

It was a bargain at the time if you look at comps. Everyone has such a short memory here. He had over 50 points LAST year, yet 7.5 is too much? List the other Dmen that have averaged what Rielly has his whole career, and let me know what they make;

McAvoy - 9.5
Heiskanen - 8.5
Doughty - 11.0
Klingberg - 4.1 (Turned down an 8mx7 Contract)
Dahlin - 11.0
Weber - 8.0 (14 years)

Rielly did take a discount whether you guys like it or not. (I'm not saying he is better or worse than those players, obviously Doughty and Dahlin are excellent D). He is basically paid Devon Toews money.

I get everyone freaking out this year, he has looked like dog shit for the past month and change. Lets see how it goes this playoffs for him and make a determination at that point.

Rielly brings nothing but offense (if someone creates it for him). Those players are significantly better all around and most better offensively too. Rielly's no bargain, he got fair UFA value which looks good compared to Matthews, Marner, Nylander, and Tavares.

Also, his gap control is AWFUL. Dude how have you not managed to get better at something mental for OVER A DECADE.

It's not mental, he can't skate backwards or pivot very well so he has to make up for it. That's why it's funny when folks say he's a good skater, he's good going forward because he's explosive.

 

[mclaren55]

Rielly brings nothing but offense (if someone creates it for him). Those players are significantly better all around and most better offensively too. Rielly's no bargain, he got fair UFA value which looks good compared to Matthews, Marner, Nylander, and Tavares.

If you think someone is creating his offense, I suggest you look at primary vs secondary assists for his career and compare it to other D. He creates A LOT of offense.