Player Discussion Morgan Rielly

[TMLAM34]

Uh, what?

People are just stating the obvious, having a new born child does affect your performance. There is no way around it, outside of banishing your kid and isolating yourself, which is completely inexcusable behaviour for a parent. You somehow equate that to some sort of weird class dynamic, or think that means accepting Morgans decline is acceptable. Morgan underperforming this year is bad, maybe that's because he has a new born, maybe it's something else, maybe it's a combination of factors.

What you are doing is making up narratives in your head that aren't even provable, and then lashing out at people. No one is defending "lazy" people, they are simply making observations.

Keep going on your rant though, seems like you need to get some stuff out.

No point in continuing this discussion with him. Until you go through it, you don’t know. Like you said, it could definitely be a combination of a couple things.

I think my sons first molars are coming through, he woke up last night at 11, 12, 1, 5 and 6am… It’s my wife’s second week back to work so I’m getting up throughout the night, do you think I’m very productive at work right now? Absolutely not lol, today is a write off lol.

 

[Suntouchable13]

No point in continuing this discussion with him. Until you go through it, you don’t know. Like you said, it could definitely be a combination of a couple things.

I think my sons first molars are coming through, he woke up last night at 11, 12, 1, 5 and 6am… It’s my wife’s second week back to work so I’m getting up throughout the night, do you think I’m very productive at work right now? Absolutely not lol, today is a write off lol.

Yea, but these are not regular people. He can hire someone to do that for him. Many players have new born children, doesn't meant it's an excuse for poor performance.

 

[thewave]

No point in continuing this discussion with him. Until you go through it, you don’t know. Like you said, it could definitely be a combination of a couple things.

I think my sons first molars are coming through, he woke up last night at 11, 12, 1, 5 and 6am… It’s my wife’s second week back to work so I’m getting up throughout the night, do you think I’m very productive at work right now? Absolutely not lol, today is a write off lol.

They are high paid people. It's not the same. For instance family in Manhattan, have multiple people on staff to deal with this sort of thing. Limo driver etc.

That is the class Morgan is in. Tessa is an executive as well. It's a different world just saying.

 

[WTFMAN99]

No point in continuing this discussion with him. Until you go through it, you don’t know. Like you said, it could definitely be a combination of a couple things.

I think my sons first molars are coming through, he woke up last night at 11, 12, 1, 5 and 6am… It’s my wife’s second week back to work so I’m getting up throughout the night, do you think I’m very productive at work right now? Absolutely not lol, today is a write off lol.

Yea, but these are not regular people. He can hire someone to do that for him. Many players have new born children, doesn't meant it's an excuse for poor performance.

We can be even more realistic, is he going to be amazing every game? No, but only the truly elite are.

He's been bad dating back to last year, especially the playoffs and he's gotten worse defensively. I could handle if he was good/average for maybe 2/3 games or 3/5 game stretches but it's been like 1/5 at best.

He would be a guy to move on from this off-season at all costs, I just don't expect the return to be very good but it's fine, we talked a bout a culture change.

 

[TMLAM34]

We can be even more realistic, is he going to be amazing every game? No, but only the truly elite are.

He's been bad dating back to last year, especially the playoffs and he's gotten worse defensively. I could handle if he was good/average for maybe 2/3 games or 3/5 game stretches but it's been like 1/5 at best.

He would be a guy to move on from this off-season at all costs, I just don't expect the return to be very good but it's fine, we talked a bout a culture change.

I’m fine with moving on from Rielly, I think a fair return based off the Jones trade would be a 2nd round draft pick and decent roster player.

 

[WTFMAN99]

I’m fine with moving on from Rielly, I think a fair return based off the Jones trade would be a 2nd round draft pick and decent roster player.

I'm setting my sights lower because I don't think the rest of the league is blind...but maybe a GM thinks this is an off-year, he has a big ticket.

Vancouver has Hughes and Pettersson at LD so I think Calgary is the next option. Calgary's LD situation is pretty bad and Rielly's parents are in BC...maybe something like Blake Coleman for Morgan Rielly is a basis for a deal.

 

[Ports]

100% Chychrun is the guy you go after in the Off-season. bet he gets around $8 to $8.5. Need Rielly's contract gone

Someone mentioned that the current CBA expires after next season. I wonder if we get some compliance buyouts again as plan B if Rielly doesn't waive

No need for a compliance buyout. They can buy him out for 2/3 of his remaining salary spread out over 10 years or $2.5M per year in cash cost. The buyout window begins at the end of the regular season and ends on June 30th. In Rielly’s case, they get Cap savings of $21M spread out over the first five years (almost $6M next season alone) with a cap hit of $11M spread out over the following five years but by then the salary cap will likely be at $125M or more. It’s a no brainer but not sure the Leafs have the stomach to do it. Lots of better organization would.

 

[Ports]

How is It possible that Mo became this bad? Worst on the team by far.

Is he on the drugs?
Drinking?
Is he pregnant?
Wants to get bought out?
Gave up on the sport?

I am so freaking amazed by this dope

He’s been bad defensively his whole career but some people overlooked / ignored that because he put up points. Now that he’s slowed down and actually looks disinterested in playing defense he’s being seen as the defensive liability he was all along only worse than ever.

 

[yubbers]

Uh, what?

People are just stating the obvious, having a new born child does affect your performance. There is no way around it, outside of banishing your kid and isolating yourself, which is completely inexcusable behaviour for a parent. You somehow equate that to some sort of weird class dynamic, or think that means accepting Morgans decline is acceptable. Morgan underperforming this year is bad, maybe that's because he has a new born, maybe it's something else, maybe it's a combination of factors.

What you are doing is making up narratives in your head that aren't even provable, and then lashing out at people. No one is defending "lazy" people, they are simply making observations.

Keep going on your rant though, seems like you need to get some stuff out.

You're not worth 7 mil if you're not professional enough to keep your home life from affecting your job.

Men making 70k can manage to perform their job efficiently while having kids. A multimillionaire can't manage? Nonsense.

 

[mclaren55]

You're not worth 7 mil if you're not professional enough to keep your home life from affecting your job.

Men making 70k can manage to perform their job efficiently while having kids. A multimillionaire can't manage? Nonsense.

What are you trying to argue here?

He is our highest average TOI player, how isn't he being professional? No one knows what is affecting Rielly right now. Stating that having a newborn at home doesn't affect you is pure ignorance. Yes, lots of "70k" people manage, now do people who are in the top 1% of the 1% of their profession (Most elite). Just because I can go to work as an options trader doesn't mean the 3-4 hours of sleep I get is enough to be as effective as I could be if I had 8. Now imagine if you are an elite athlete that is the most relied upon on your team for eating minutes and think of the contrast.

It's completely ignorant to think having a newborn doesn't have some sort of impact on your performance, regardless of your income. It's also ignorant of all of us to just blindly speculate on what is happening with him.

 

[yubbers]

What are you trying to argue here?

He is our highest average TOI player, how isn't he being professional? No one knows what is affecting Rielly right now. Stating that having a newborn at home doesn't affect you is pure ignorance. Yes, lots of "70k" people manage, now do people who are in the top 1% of the 1% of their profession (Most elite). Just because I can go to work as an options trader doesn't mean the 3-4 hours of sleep I get is enough to be as effective as I could be if I had 8. Now imagine if you are an elite athlete that is the most relied upon on your team for eating minutes and think of the contrast.

It's completely ignorant to think having a newborn doesn't have some sort of impact on your performance, regardless of your income. It's also ignorant of all of us to just blindly speculate on what is happening with him.

That's like saying the salesman that makes the least sales works more hours than better salesman

 

[Fogelhund]

One way or the other, we are going to need Morgan to figure out his play for the playoffs. At least be acceptable, and move the puck well. If we fail to progress very far, he would be one of the players I'd be looking at to make changes on this team.

Chychrun would be my top target, if he's willing to come to Toronto or Canada.

 

[fahad203]

For those who think Reilly is having a bad year.
This was him last year

I have never seen a slower pivot in my life

 

[mclaren55]

That's like saying the salesman that makes the least sales works more hours than better salesman

No, it's a factual statement that for whatever reason, Rielly is still getting the highest ATOI out of all our defense. Not sure where you are going with that analogy.

 

[WTFMAN99]

One way or the other, we are going to need Morgan to figure out his play for the playoffs. At least be acceptable, and move the puck well. If we fail to progress very far, he would be one of the players I'd be looking at to make changes on this team.

Chychrun would be my top target, if he's willing to come to Toronto or Canada.

I believe when he was on Arizona, there were some conversations in the media about him liking Toronto. Just whenever they'd come to town, he'd talk very glowingly/enthusiastically of the team.

I don't think it would be an issue in getting him here, I think he's friends with Matthews too.

 

[TMLAM34]

I believe when he was on Arizona, there were some conversations in the media about him liking Toronto. Just whenever they'd come to town, he'd talk very glowingly/enthusiastically of the team.

I don't think it would be an issue in getting him here, I think he's friends with Matthews too.

Yup, that’s why the goal should be to move on from Rielly and sign Chychrun.

McCabe - Carlo
Chychrun - Tanev
Ekman Larsson - Myers
Benoit

Would be a really good blueline IMO.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

That's for managers to decide. The only actual issue I take with this is that in situations like this, if a buyout is required we are affected in a sensitive area. Cap.

This is another CBA item. What happens when there is cognitive issues for whatever reason and a player can not perform evem close to normal suddenly after signing.

Just like there should be cap balancing for areas with different tax rate. There should be a method even if limited to get out of a bad situation like this without detriment to your cap.



I think Kadri and Grabovski had increased on ice performance off the top of my head.

Off topic but am i the only one that would desperately like to have a Grabovski on his team or am I losing my mind? He definitely had more dog in him than some of these guys.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

No point in continuing this discussion with him. Until you go through it, you don’t know. Like you said, it could definitely be a combination of a couple things.

I think my sons first molars are coming through, he woke up last night at 11, 12, 1, 5 and 6am… It’s my wife’s second week back to work so I’m getting up throughout the night, do you think I’m very productive at work right now? Absolutely not lol, today is a write off lol.

Been there, best wishes my guy. Teeth suck.

 

[Dreakmur]

He’s been bad defensively his whole career but some people overlooked / ignored that because he put up points. Now that he’s slowed down and actually looks disinterested in playing defense he’s being seen as the defensive liability he was all along only worse than ever.

He’s not really worse. It does appear that way because he is now surrounded by a much more competent blueline. Gone are the days when people had to pretend Justin Holl was a shutdown defender.

 

[Stephen]

Uh, what?

People are just stating the obvious, having a new born child does affect your performance. There is no way around it, outside of banishing your kid and isolating yourself, which is completely inexcusable behaviour for a parent. You somehow equate that to some sort of weird class dynamic, or think that means accepting Morgans decline is acceptable. Morgan underperforming this year is bad, maybe that's because he has a new born, maybe it's something else, maybe it's a combination of factors.

What you are doing is making up narratives in your head that aren't even provable, and then lashing out at people. No one is defending "lazy" people, they are simply making observations.

Not really sure a sports fan needs to think that deeply about a pro athlete and their domestic situation when there's no actual insight or connection to how a pro athlete lives or why they're having struggles. As far as we know, it's all baked in and what matters is when you play.

A guy like Victor Hedman won a Norris Trophy and a Stanley Cup during the pandemic bubble, had a kid and then won another Stanley Cup. Those difficult situations evidently didn't impact his game the same way.

Fred Van Vleet's game hit a new level en route to a championship weeks after he had his kid and his offense hit new levels the year after.

 

[Martin Skoula]

If he gets a full NMC we should have gotten a 3-5 year No Kids Clause. I get players don’t want to have kids in a contract year before they know where they’ll be living but doing it the moment you have your retirement deal locked in is frustrating, at least give us a couple good years first. Have sextuplets when the window closes and you’re going through the motions on a basement team.

 

[Ports]

View attachment 991569
Not the worst idea unless they can find a trade.

They won’t get anything for him in a trade. After 12 years in the league every team knows he can’t or won’t defend. If they can find a taker they will have to eat $$ on his cap hit. Better to just buy him out and take the huge cap savings over the next five seasons. The cash cost means nothing to them with the money they make.

Pro athlete or not, no one should make their kid a second priority to anything in life. He is a dad, maybe it has affected his performance, but he is a dad first and foremost. Not everyone is selfish enough to pawn their kids off to be raised by a third party so they can focus on their career.

Whatever is happening to Mo' this season, he deserves the benefit of the doubt. He has been a good soldier his entire career here. 1 shit year and you guys are willing to throw him out the window.

One year ?

 

[Ports]

I don’t see this as a good option at all. 3.6 million in dead space is significant and you’d still have to replace Rielly. With the cap growing as it is, even a quality 3rd pairing guy is going to cost you probably 3+ so you’ve really not gained anything.

They save almost $6M in cap space next season and not having to play him will make them a better team. He’s not worth $3.6M. That’s what they pay OEL and Carlo who are much more reliable than him and way more physical. He’s a weak link in the chain.

The only thing weird here is your take. Pilots have one of the highest divorce rates out of any profession, how do I know? I was a pilot.

You're basically saying "Lots of people put their jobs first", then threw in slaves and draftees for some reason, people who are forcibly removed from their families as some sort of pivot to being equitable to being a good father. I can tell you don't have kids, you probably shouldn't if that's your perspective.

He should retire then and become a full time Dad. I would applaud his decision.

 

[Ports]

I'm not defending his decline, just stating the obvious to your crass interpretation of what it means to be a parent.

Waive him, keep him, I couldn't care to be quite honest. His ability to play hockey has zero impact on me as an individual. I simply thought it may be more pragmatic to give him another season to try to rebound. You've already stated "he is almost untradeable" at this point, so why not see if he can bounce back and increase his value?


Lack of rest is cumulative, and typically takes more than a week or two to rebound. You are correct though, it *could* be a general decline.

Because it is hurting the team. It is pro sports and winning is the bottom line. He’s not suddenly going to learn how to defend or become a PP quarterback at this point in his career.

I’m fine with moving on from Rielly, I think a fair return based off the Jones trade would be a 2nd round draft pick and decent roster player.

He’s not Seth Jones. No chance Florida would make that trade for Rielly.

 

[Stephen]

Because it is hurting the team. It is pro sports and winning is the bottom line. He’s not suddenly going to learn how to defend or become a PP quarterback at this point in his career.


He’s not Seth Jones. No chance Florida would make that trade for Rielly.

Rielly's never really been a strong defending defenseman in his whole career. The euphemism of having to find him a partner like a Ron Hainsey just really meant he needed a babysitter. He never grew out of it even as his role expanded, and all the other whipping boys moved on. First Gardiner, then Holl, then declining Brodie.