Player Discussion Morgan Rielly

That is not on 4 players. Absurd logic. Matthews is multi year rocket winner and mvp winner. Marner top 10 winger, Nylander same. To say they didn't develop is just laughable.

It's on management overpaying them and not putting a good enough coach and team around them
It’s more about paying five players 61% of the cap and not being able to afford depth scoring in the bottom six.
Sure and I said as much. It is on management for paying them too much, never putting the right pieces around them, and never making any changes.

But to suggest they somehow didn't develop as expected is just pure nonsense. The reason we are so disappointed is their clear talent level 95% of the season vs what we get in playoff.

All it takes is 1 deep run to change the narrative but at this point that run isn't coming. But it's not because they didn't hit their potential
Part of that potential includes winning when it counts in the playoffs. If you look at their scoring contributions especially later in playoff series, it’s well below average compared to other stars in the league in their pay bracket. We all know they’re great regular season performers but for what they’re paid and how much playoff experience they have they haven’t lived up to their potential in the post season.
 
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If the Leafs get knocked out in the first round again, I’d be looking at making a MAJOR shake up. Moving Rielly would be part of that process.

I wonder if something around Rielly for DeBrusk would make sense for both sides
 
Maybe they can agree to terminate his contract wink wink but give him a bunch of money on the side. ;)
They can. It’s called a buyout. Pay him out $25M over 10 years and save $21M on the cap over the next five years. The numbers work in their favour big time.
 
Honestly I'm not trying to troll. I had Reilly last year on fantasy, and he was solid. This year his stat lines are empty.. like hits, shots, blocks. Has he taken a step back, or what's going on?
 
Honestly I'm not trying to troll. I had Reilly last year on fantasy, and he was solid. This year his stat lines are empty.. like hits, shots, blocks. Has he taken a step back, or what's going on?
He’s been awful in every way. His compete is terrible, his effort halfhearted, his skating slowed, his offensive and defensive IQ is his skate size. Brain dead.
 
Honestly I'm not trying to troll. I had Reilly last year on fantasy, and he was solid. This year his stat lines are empty.. like hits, shots, blocks. Has he taken a step back, or what's going on?

To me he looks out of shape and mentally checked out. The skating is sluggish. When the pressure is on there’s no hop to his skating and he gets caught. He can’t engage in physical play or clear a slot despite being 225 pounds. Focus isn’t there and gets lost when there’s a scramble play. Can’t defend a two on one odd man without it looking like a fire drill. Has no offense. No shot. Erratic passing.
 
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To me he looks out of shape and mentally checked out. The skating is sluggish. When the pressure is on there’s no hop to his skating and he gets caught. He can’t engage in physical play or clear a slot despite being 225 pounds. Focus isn’t there and gets lost when there’s a scramble play. Can’t defend a two on one odd man without it looking like a fire drill. Has no offense. No shot. Erratic passing.
Goal tonight the puck was there for him and he was just shoved aside like he was Niemela.
 
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Goal tonight the puck was there for him and he was just shoved aside like he was Niemela.

If he continues on this trajectory he’s in buyout territory by this summer with a big bullseye on his back for his contribution to the Leafs demise. His decline has been as sudden and dramatic as Brodie’s last year.
 
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At this point line him up as 3rd. line center.

He's paid to play, and yes 7.5 is too much for a 3rd. line center, but is almost sunk cost at this point.

Maybe he'd like the challenge, he could decide his fate at that point.
 
Yeah, we're completely screwed with this guy.
MLSE screwed with us.

They preached accountability but they practiced only accounting.

They promised us a parade but they delivered only a charade.

They said the core was there to score but score no more.

Morgan is failing us. He is the worst on the team right now considering what he is making.
 
At this point line him up as 3rd. line center.

He's paid to play, and yes 7.5 is too much for a 3rd. line center, but is almost sunk cost at this point.

Maybe he'd like the challenge, he could decide his fate at that point.
He has a lot of skills that could work at center, but defending would be a bit of a weakness.
 
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Leafs had a golden opportunity to move him for some decent assets on his last contract and they didn't. Now we're stuck with him for another 5 seasons. Much like Marner I like Rielly, but the Leafs need major changes and moving both of them would be a good change in direction for this team that will likely be 1st round fodder again in the playoffs if they stick with the same players.
 
Leafs had a golden opportunity to move him for some decent assets on his last contract and they didn't. Now we're stuck with him for another 5 seasons. Much like Marner I like Rielly, but the Leafs need major changes and moving both of them would be a good change in direction for this team that will likely be 1st round fodder again in the playoffs if they stick with the same players.
Agreed. Any gm with foresight would be able to move on from Reilly, but we had tweedle Dee and tweedle dum in shanahan and dubas, so you get what you get and you can’t get upset!
 
I’ve had it with Rielly this season. He doesn’t deserve to be paired with either McCabe or Tanev. Stick him with Myers, Timmins, or whoever and let him sink or swim. Better to have at least one elite pair back there than trying to help a clearly struggling player.
 
Tell me again how Rielly is not a problem when his own coach acknowledges he needs to be much better

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Flat out liability, in every aspect of the game. Really disappointed reading Berube's comments about his game, this guy needs a demotion/potentially healthy scratch, not coddling from the coach.
 
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After the first goal last night, Joe Bowen was quick to point out Rielly was "now -17 on the season", and how much worse that was than literally anyone else on the roster.

Sure enough, Morgan added another minus later for good measure. Not sure how his play has cratered the way it has, this was a guy I thought would have a good case for the C back in the day. :help:
 
After the first goal last night, Joe Bowen was quick to point out Rielly was "now -17 on the season", and how much worse that was than literally anyone else on the roster.

Sure enough, Morgan added another minus later for good measure. Not sure how his play has cratered the way it has, this was a guy I thought would have a good case for the C back in the day. :help:
The first minus is definitely on Rielly last night.

However, the +/- debate does apply to the player near the blueline at all and only slightly to the other players. Puck is there for Rielly but he's easily pushed off the puck, and then others mis assignments. 29 watching the puck, but trying to cover up for Rielly's fart.

We've discussed the visuals, i.e. his skating, but we've also discussed whether he's carrying too much weight. 6'1", 225 lb. compared to 6'3", 227 lb. Knies? Size does help defenders, but not if it's negatively impacting your best attribute.


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The first minus is definitely on Rielly last night.

However, the +/- debate does apply to the player near the blueline at all and only slightly to the other players. Puck is there for Rielly but he's easily pushed off the puck, and then others mis assignments. 29 watching the puck, but trying to cover up for Rielly's fart.

We've discussed the visuals, i.e. his skating, but we've also discussed whether he's carrying too much weight. 6'1", 225 lb. compared to 6'3", 227 lb. Knies? Size does help defenders, but not if it's negatively impacting your best attribute.


View attachment 969516
View attachment 969518

Rielly can probably cut like 20 lbs at least, if he was crushing guys or moving well, okay but if he's not physical, he should probably be very mobile.
 
Flat out liability, in every aspect of the game. Really disappointed reading Berube's comments about his game, this guy needs a demotion/potentially healthy scratch, not coddling from the coach.

We can all tell Berube had the... we like a positive culture approach to hockey around here Mr Berube. We are not in the business of upsetting our hockey players sort of hockey team. In the spirit of the transitioner in chief Kyle Dubas who laid this the groundwork and pioneered this template, we carry on in cheery and positive fashion towards our goal of winning.
 
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