Player Discussion Morgan Rielly

[67leafs]

I would move Morgan

 

[CabanaBoy5]

Personally, I think it has a little bit to do with how the Leafs gameplanned the series; especially late, with ultra-low scoring and low chance affairs.

Rielly is at his best when given the freedom to roam and create chances...like he was against Tampa last year. Against Boston, the Leafs seemed very content to sit back and try to win the game 1-0 or 2-1... which probably meant that Rielly was told he doesn't have freedom to roam.



Slightly below average, technically.

However it is important to consider that there aren't 32 defencemen in this league that should be #1s on a a really good team. There's probably ~15 of them.

Rielly was at his roaming best last season and this season with a penchant to be caught out of position more often than not. Sure, he had a great playoffs last season, but he's been his normal defensive black hole with the added bonus of roaming around the ice recklessly trying to create offence during the last two regular seasons. Either find a true #1, or move on from this #3 dman masquerading as a #1.

 

[Trapper]

Reilly wouldn’t be the main focus at the moment. Look you can’t just explode everyone out the door. A retool is also a process so you don’t blow up the team.

My priorities would be:

Year 1: Looking at Keefe if something better is there.
Moving Marner if he waives
UFA D/G and a decent priced winger for the top 6

Year 2: Tavares out
Assess and fill out any more roster upgrades.

Year 3: Then you can look at Rielly if the above is flowing well.

 

[67leafs]

Reilly wouldn’t be the main focus at the moment. Look you can’t just explode everyone out the door. A retool is also a process so you don’t blow up the team.

My priorities would be:

Year 1: Looking at Keefe if something better is there.
Moving Marner if he waives
UFA D/G and a decent priced winger for the top 6

Year 2: Tavares out
Assess and fill out any more roster upgrades.

Year 3: Then you can look at Rielly if the above is flowing well.

Keefe is out
So now we move to Mitch JT and Morgan.

 

[rumman]

I would move Morgan

Hopefully Tre agrees with you, Rielly isn’t exactly his type of D man………

Reilly wouldn’t be the main focus at the moment. Look you can’t just explode everyone out the door. A retool is also a process so you don’t blow up the team.

My priorities would be:

Year 1: Looking at Keefe if something better is there.
Moving Marner if he waives
UFA D/G and a decent priced winger for the top 6

Year 2: Tavares out
Assess and fill out any more roster upgrades.

Year 3: Then you can look at Rielly if the above is flowing well.

If retooling is supposed to fix the team, then moving the parts of the team that don’t work is paramount be it one player or five imo……..

Keefe is out
So now we move to Mitch JT and Morgan.

Don’t forget Shanahan……..

 

[Tak7]

It's not a great blueline, and it lacks a lot of what Rielly offers in terms of puck movement, transition play, and offense.

So, unless a Rielly trade nets you a better Dman who can play top pairing, you probably shouldn't be moving him. He's fairly valued on his current deal too, imo.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

So, unless a Rielly trade nets you a better Dman who can play top pairing, you probably shouldn't be moving him.

This !

 

[CelticDruid]

It's not a great blueline, and it lacks a lot of what Rielly offers in terms of puck movement, transition play, and offense.

So, unless a Rielly trade nets you a better Dman who can play top pairing, you probably shouldn't be moving him. He's fairly valued on his current deal too, imo.

Reilly has been garbage for most of the past season ,he is past his prime.

He looked like a beaten rag doll for most of the Bruins series.

 

[Punch Drunk Loov]

Didn't have a good series

 

[TMLife17]

Reilly has been garbage for most of the past season ,he is past his prime.

He looked like a beaten rag doll for most of the Bruins series.

He was solid until his injury. I’d be pessimistic about most people but Morgan always puts in the work. I bet he comes out and dominates next season.

He’s way down the list of things that need to change for me. If anything he’s our captain.

 

[Tak7]

Reilly has been garbage for most of the past season ,he is past his prime.

He looked like a beaten rag doll for most of the Bruins series.

Yeah, definitely didn't look great in the playoffs.

He's still not someone I'd be rushing to trade away - the guy gives a damn, and works his ass off.

 

[CelticDruid]

Yeah, definitely didn't look great in the playoffs.

He's still not someone I'd be rushing to trade away - the guy gives a damn, and works his ass off.

I know that he cares but results matter.

I really do hope he can turn it around, but I do not want to see him on PP one ever again.

 

[Ports]

For a decade we've been talking about finding a player to play with Morgan Rielly, but his sputtering offense, terrible special teams contributions on the powerplay, inconsistent and sloppy defensive play, that daydreaming sequence in the Game 7 OT loss to Boston, I don't think he's part of a winning recipe.

We have to find a defenseman who can supplant him in the "number one" role that will bump him down the roster, and with his cap being what it is, he's really not a guy who can be locked in till 2029-30 with a NMC.

What a disappointing player.

Trade him and eat some of his cap hit if need be. He’s second pairing at best on a cup contender. Terrible defensively, not physical and poor PP quarterback. Dubas foolishly gave him an 8 year extension when he should have traded him after his 20 goal season when his value peaked.

 

[Ports]

This was his worst series to date. Just absolutely nothing offensively or in terms of puck movement. He and Boosh didn't get scored on a ton but hoo boy did he pick a great time for Boston to exploit him tonight in Game 7, on for both goals against.

I don't know if he was hurt or what. You could probably get something for him in a trade but he's got a NMC. Would be hard to convince him to waive. Don't think he's as sick of this city and franchise as Mitch, and the vitriol towards him isn't anywhere close to the same level.

Leafs record without Rielly last three years. 21-3-1. That says it all.

Always has been way overrated by a lot of Leaf fans.

Terrible extension by Dubas.

Actually worse than Marner’s contract if that’s possible.

 

[Ports]

It's not a great blueline, and it lacks a lot of what Rielly offers in terms of puck movement, transition play, and offense.

So, unless a Rielly trade nets you a better Dman who can play top pairing, you probably shouldn't be moving him. He's fairly valued on his current deal too, imo.

He’s brutal and his cap space can be used to sign a top pairing defenseman. Leafs recent record without Rielly in the lineup is 21-3-1. Using his $7.5M cap hit for a dman who can quarterback the PP and not be a defensive liability is more important than the return on the deal.

 

[ToneDog]

He’s brutal and his cap space can be used to sign a top pairing defenseman. Leafs recent record without Rielly in the lineup is 21-3-1. Using his $7.5M cap hit for a dman who can quarterback the PP and not be a defensive liability is more important than the return on the deal.

What team would give you a better dman for Rielly+?

 

[Trapper]

What team would give you a better dman for Rielly+?

None. You try to get the D with the Marner deal and a scoring forward for Reilly.

But that’s getting into too many moves. Start with Marner, retool the back and goal with the trade, money out and UFA.

You can judge the next move(s) from there.
But the no. 1 priority is moving Marner before UFA or contract talks. Get that off the books.

 

[Stephen]

Trade him and eat some of his cap hit if need be. He’s second pairing at best on a cup contender. Terrible defensively, not physical and poor PP quarterback. Dubas foolishly gave him an 8 year extension when he should have traded him after his 20 goal season when his value peaked.

I’m not happy with being unhappy about Morgan Rielly since he’s been here forever through so many regimes and is a good guy. But it does annoy me that he comes out with his sad emotional honesty and earnestly wanting to keep the team together after the season ends while paired with such sloppy play over the last little while when it still mattered on the ice. It’s hard to match that kind of emotional sentiment with the play of someone who looks like they have job security and sometimes lets standards slip in their own game.

 

[Ports]

What team would give you a better dman for Rielly+?

Who knows what they get back in the trade. A third line centre maybe, a prospect, picks? In a Salary Cap world the cap space they get back is an important asset and would allow them to go out and sign a better defenseman for similar money.

 

[ToneDog]

Who knows what they get back in the trade. A third line centre maybe, a prospect, picks? In a Salary Cap world the cap space they get back is an important asset and would allow them to go out and sign a better defenseman for similar money.

Agreed in which case you have to get that #1D back via trade or UFA.

 

[Ports]

I’m not happy with being unhappy about Morgan Rielly since he’s been here forever through so many regimes and is a good guy. But it does annoy me that he comes out with his sad emotional honesty and earnestly wanting to keep the team together after the season ends while paired with such sloppy play over the last little while when it still mattered on the ice. It’s hard to match that kind of emotional sentiment with the play of someone who looks like they have job security and sometimes lets standards slip in their own game.

These guys are better practiced at post playoff exit sound bites than they are at winning at crunch time. I’ve lost interest in what they have to say. None of them take personal responsibility for their poor play. It’s all blah, blah, blah. I like Rielly the man but not the player as their number one dman. He’s not really very good at anything but is paid to be a top pairing guy. He’s been around for 11 seasons and hasn’t grown as a player. IMO it’s time to be ruthless though not reckless. Can they better use his $7.5M cap hit on the back end ? The answer is yes. He’s had his chance to lead this team to the promised land and he just doesn’t have it. Time to move on.

 

[Ports]

morgan rielly can help alot of teams, and hes actually performed in the post season. him at 7.5 million is not a bad price at all in reality. lots of worse dmen on higher deals than him in the league.

Oh good. So he’s not on the worst deal in the league but he’s their highest paid dman who’s brutal defensively, can’t run a PP and has been there 11 years with no post season success to show for it. That’s the guy I want to rebuild a team around.

 

[djdev]

Oh good. So he’s not on the worst deal in the league but he’s their highest paid dman who’s brutal defensively, can’t run a PP and has been there 11 years with no post season success to show for it. That’s the guy I want to rebuild a team around.

again, i said to trade the guy...

the point of the post is people are getting way too emotional about what are players actually are, which is understandable given how recently we were knocked out, doesnt make it correct though.

 

[Stephen]

again, i said to trade the guy...

the point of the post is people are getting way too emotional about what are players actually are, which is understandable given how recently we were knocked out, doesnt make it correct though.

I think my frustration with Rielly boils down to feeling like he was part of the solution and taking that for granted without more serious examination and critique.

Then you return to the same old year after year and you look at Rielly’s defensive lapses, low compete level, poor details, special teams work and it just adds up to a player who looks complacent on the ice.

 

[67leafs]

I think my frustration with Rielly boils down to feeling like he was part of the solution and taking that for granted without more serious examination and critique.

Then you return to the same old year after year and you look at Rielly’s defensive lapses, low compete level, poor details, special teams work and it just adds up to a player who looks complacent on the ice.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen him throw a hit!
You can’t play D without being somewhat physical IMO.