Player Discussion Morgan Rielly

[Maple Leaf]

Why do people lie and gaslight so much when it comes to discussing this player? It's like none of his detractors can discuss him without constantly telling lies lol.

Just a few takes I've seen on the last couple of pages alone:

• Rielly is a PP merchant, and that's why his production is as good as it's been (Rielly has been one of the top 5v5 producing d-men for a while now and our PP has sucked of late)
• Rielly was bad last season and has been bad for multiple seasons now (Rielly has produced at a 55-60 pt pace or better since 2018, and last season paced for 65 pts, was a +7 and was 15th amongst all NHL D in 5v5 pts and 4th in 5v5 GF/60)
• Rielly sucks at the PP (Rielly is in the top 10 for power play Pts/60 amongst D-men the last 5 years)
• Rielly hasn't been good since the Tampa series (Rielly was literally our best player against Florida, he led the team in points and +/-, and him and Schenn were our only positive +/- d-men)
• Rielly was horrible against the Bruins (While this was not his best series and he did not produce as much, he was still on the ice for 6 out of Toronto's 12 measly goals for, and going into game 7 he had only been on the ice for 3 goals against, unfortunately he was terrible in game 7 but he otherwise had a very steady series and controlled the ice when he played)

I will concede that Rielly isn't the strongest defensively, and from D-men who have played at least 1000+ minutes at 5v5 the last three seasons, he's within the bottom quartile for xGA/60, but he's also in the top 15% for xGF/60, so you take the good with the bad. Plus, he generally tightens up defensively in the playoffs. Again, this season he is not doing well and producing below his usual level, but let's not rewrite history and tell lies to try and manipulate people into believing that he has been some junk d-man who fluked his way into putting up points or try to make him look worse.

That's cool hope he is trading though

 

[NJG]

Right now he’s 51st in the league in PPG for defenseman and he has the 6th worst +- . If he’s playing like this they’ll have to eat some of his AAV. Other teams won’t want an aging defenseman who can’t defend and isn’t that good offensively.

Or you have to attach something else to make the team take the full salary. It doesn’t just work one way, the moral of the story is if they really wanted, they could dump his whole salary.

And no one wanting him because of his play right now is not that big of a factor, teams take chances on guys all the time who aren’t playing well, thinking a change of scenery etc. will help them. Look at Montreal with Laine.

 

[Aashir]

That's cool hope he is trading though

This is not as big a of “gotcha” moment as you think…

 

[ACC1224]

Why do people lie and gaslight so much when it comes to discussing this player? It's like none of his detractors can discuss him without constantly telling lies lol.

Just a few takes I've seen on the last couple of pages alone:

• Rielly is a PP merchant, and that's why his production is as good as it's been (Rielly has been one of the top 5v5 producing d-men for a while now and our PP has sucked of late)
• Rielly was bad last season and has been bad for multiple seasons now (Rielly has produced at a 55-60 pt pace or better since 2018, and last season paced for 65 pts, was a +7 and was 15th amongst all NHL D in 5v5 pts and 4th in 5v5 GF/60)
• Rielly sucks at the PP (Rielly is in the top 10 for power play Pts/60 amongst D-men the last 5 years)
• Rielly hasn't been good since the Tampa series (Rielly was literally our best player against Florida, he led the team in points and +/-, and him and Schenn were our only positive +/- d-men)
• Rielly was horrible against the Bruins (While this was not his best series and he did not produce as much, he was still on the ice for 6 out of Toronto's 12 measly goals for, and going into game 7 he had only been on the ice for 3 goals against, unfortunately he was terrible in game 7 but he otherwise had a very steady series and controlled the ice when he played)

I will concede that Rielly isn't the strongest defensively, and from D-men who have played at least 1000+ minutes at 5v5 the last three seasons, he's within the bottom quartile for xGA/60, but he's also in the top 15% for xGF/60, so you take the good with the bad. Plus, he generally tightens up defensively in the playoffs. Again, this season he is not doing well and producing below his usual level, but let's not rewrite history and tell lies to try and manipulate people into believing that he has been some junk d-man who fluked his way into putting up points or try to make him look worse.

It's the same with any player. You could fill a book with the lies told about Marner.

 

[TopCheeseShotta]

Why do people lie and gaslight so much when it comes to discussing this player? It's like none of his detractors can discuss him without constantly telling lies lol.

Just a few takes I've seen on the last couple of pages alone:

• Rielly is a PP merchant, and that's why his production is as good as it's been (Rielly has been one of the top 5v5 producing d-men for a while now and our PP has sucked of late)
• Rielly was bad last season and has been bad for multiple seasons now (Rielly has produced at a 55-60 pt pace or better since 2018, and last season paced for 65 pts, was a +7 and was 15th amongst all NHL D in 5v5 pts and 4th in 5v5 GF/60)
• Rielly sucks at the PP (Rielly is in the top 10 for power play Pts/60 amongst D-men the last 5 years)
• Rielly hasn't been good since the Tampa series (Rielly was literally our best player against Florida, he led the team in points and +/-, and him and Schenn were our only positive +/- d-men)
• Rielly was horrible against the Bruins (While this was not his best series and he did not produce as much, he was still on the ice for 6 out of Toronto's 12 measly goals for, and going into game 7 he had only been on the ice for 3 goals against, unfortunately he was terrible in game 7 but he otherwise had a very steady series and controlled the ice when he played)

I will concede that Rielly isn't the strongest defensively, and from D-men who have played at least 1000+ minutes at 5v5 the last three seasons, he's within the bottom quartile for xGA/60, but he's also in the top 15% for xGF/60, so you take the good with the bad. Plus, he generally tightens up defensively in the playoffs. Again, this season he is not doing well and producing below his usual level, but let's not rewrite history and tell lies to try and manipulate people into believing that he has been some junk d-man who fluked his way into putting up points or try to make him look worse.

Dayummm. Thank you, that was a lot of work you put in there - and definitely adds some much needed context to some of the hot takery going on.
That said, though - you kinda came around to the same outlook that most have of Morgan in your final paragraph, as well. Not that great defensively, and the eye test kinda confirms that too.
I know he's had moments of flipping that switch for the playoffs and that Tampa year definitely comes to mind - we just all need him to somehow reclaim some of that for this year. Hoping he and Coach can shake out all of these cobwebs in his head this year, in time for the big dance!