No hockey sense, no confidence. Its nothing new. He is a great skater who can transport the puck, nothing more.
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.
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.
Played well in the Tampa series two years ago but he was awful last year in the playoffs.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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;
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.
Those players make more money because they are much better defenceman than Rielly, but to your point defenceman of Rielly’s calibre were going for 8-9.5 at the time. He took a team deal forsure.
