Better team outside of the big two: Leafs vs. Oilers

[Sidney the Kidney]

That’s why I don’t buy that Ekholm > Rielly because of these stats. I’ve seen both at their best and give me Rielly every time, he will bring close to the same defense with a noticeable gap offensively.

Rielly's never been close to Ekholm defensively. His edge is in puck carrying and offense, but it's not even close defensively.

 

[McVespa99]

Yet in the playoffs he plays very good nearly every single time, contrary to what some may think despite the Leafs lack of success. Like I said based on what I’ve seen from both at their best give me Rielly, I’m not convinced Ekholm would have the same two-way impact.

You can say this as many times as you want and in as many different ways as you want. That doesn't make it true... Rielly is not close to Ekholm on defense. Now if you want to argue he is better on offense then you may have a case although even that is questionable.
Rielly has 46 points and is minus 2 with first powerplay time.
Ekholm has 28 points with basically no powerplay time and is plus 30. If he was on the powerplay he would probably have the same or more points than Rielly. With Bouchard on the team no other dman will get much PP time.
Yah any non biased fan is taking Ekholm.

 

[abo9]

I like the Oilers depth better.
Although Nylander is probably closer to Matthews and Marner than anyone on the Oilers are to McDavid/Draisaitl.

But Oilers have come a long way since McDavid's rookie year... flashes of Sekera and Benoit Pouliot lol

 

[Tkachuk4MVP]

Nylander's the best of the remaining bunch, but I kind of prefer players like Kane and Hyman because of the style they bring for the playoffs.

Leafs depth probably has more "skill", but the Oilers have a better blend of skill/physicality/grit.

Fair point, but Nylander’s a bad example because he’s been one of the few bright spots for the Leafs in the playoffs the last couple seasons.

 

[Skolman]

That’s why I don’t buy that Ekholm > Rielly because of these stats. I’ve seen both at their best and give me Rielly every time, he will bring close to the same defense with a noticeable gap offensively.

Good grief

 

[FlameChampion]

I think it’s the Oilers. They have shown more ability to win in the postseason.

That being said, I don’t think either is team is going to win. It’s highly improbable that any Canadian team wins at this point.

Theres too much going against these teams.

 

[klefbombs shoulder]

But Oilers have come a long way since McDavid's rookie year... flashes of Sekera and Benoit Pouliot lol

Sekera why very good until his injury in the 2017 playoffs.

 

[GreeningOil]

Hyman can drive a line better than Tavares this season. Nylander is easily the best player outside of them all and Rielly is probably better than any defenseman on Edmonton at his best. Overall their supporting casts are really quite close.

Reilly is straight up not better than Ekholm and maybe not Bouchard.

Rielly is so overrated.

Mattias Ekholm 5v5 since joining the Oilers:
61GF, 39GA (61 GF%)
61.51xGF%
21 points
Without McDavid or Draisaitl on the ice: 55 GF%, 53.19 xGF%

Morgan Rielly 5v5 in the same span:
59GF, 56GA (51.30 GF%)
48.39xGF%
22 points
Without Matthews or Marner on the ice: 43.93 GF%, 47.64 xGF%

haters don’t like when you show them valid evidence

 

[Buck Naked]

haters don’t like when you show them valid evidence

Nope, they just ignore and continue their narrative.

 

[klefbombs shoulder]

Reilly is straight up not better than Ekholm and maybe not Bouchard.

haters don’t like when you show them valid evidence

Bouchard is also far better than Rielly now too. Rielly is more on Nurse's level. Hes basically a less defensively sound Nurse with better finishing that get PP time.

 

[abo9]

Sekera why very good until his injury in the 2017 playoffs.

Who was the best Oilers defenseman in 2015?

Sekera was a good hockey player, but not #1 material, at least in 2015

 

[authentic]

Reilly is straight up not better than Ekholm and maybe not Bouchard.

haters don’t like when you show them valid evidence

A 60-70 point defenseman is straight up not better than a 30-40 point one? I don’t know about that. Rielly isn’t nearly as bad defensively as people seem to think. He certainly can be but when he’s at his best he is capable of playing great defense while still producing offensively. Even if Ekholm was better overall it’s hard to imagine the difference is so clearcut as is being portrayed in this thread


Look at their playoff stats for instance, Rielly has 37 points in 50 games +12, Ekholm has 42 points in 87 games +12, and Ekholm is clearly better?

 

[McNuge]

A 60-70 point defenseman is straight up not better than a 30-40 point one? I don’t know about that. Rielly isn’t nearly as bad defensively as people seem to think. He certainly can be but when he’s at his best he is capable of playing great defense while still producing offensively. Even if Ekholm was better overall it’s hard to imagine the difference is so clearcut as is being portrayed in this thread


Look at their playoff stats for instance, Rielly has 37 points in 50 games +12, Ekholm has 42 points in 87 games +12, and Ekholm is clearly better?

One of those players is on the #1PP while the other has not been. Bouchard and Josi are 2 elite OFD in the league. Hard to knock either one off the PP. Ek is an absolute beauty though, guys going to retire an Oiler.

 

[Oleksiak]

A 60-70 point defenseman is straight up not better than a 30-40 point one? I don’t know about that. Rielly isn’t nearly as bad defensively as people seem to think. He certainly can be but when he’s at his best he is capable of playing great defense while still producing offensively. Even if Ekholm was better overall it’s hard to imagine the difference is so clearcut as is being portrayed in this thread


Look at their playoff stats for instance, Rielly has 37 points in 50 games +12, Ekholm has 42 points in 87 games +12, and Ekholm is clearly better?

Yes. You're really underestimating just how much of a liability Rielly is in his own zone. Toronto improved while he was suspected due to not having to try to cover for that pylon. Ekholm plays like an NHLer in every zone.

 

[authentic]

One of those players is on the #1PP while the other has not been. Bouchard and Josi are 2 elite OFD in the league. Hard to knock either one off the PP. Ek is an absolute beauty though, guys going to retire an Oiler.

He’s a very good defenseman for sure and pretty consistently better than Rielly defensively, I just really do not see him as a better player overall.

 

[GreeningOil]

A 60-70 point defenseman is straight up not better than a 30-40 point one? I don’t know about that. Rielly isn’t nearly as bad defensively as people seem to think. He certainly can be but when he’s at his best he is capable of playing great defense while still producing offensively. Even if Ekholm was better overall it’s hard to imagine the difference is so clearcut as is being portrayed in this thread


Look at their playoff stats for instance, Rielly has 37 points in 50 games +12, Ekholm has 42 points in 87 games +12, and Ekholm is clearly better?

Statistically Ekholm is indeed better

 

[wetcoast]

Pretty comfortably Edmonton. Nylander is the best overall player but Edmonton has a wider pool of talent.

Looking at the teams outside of the big 2:

Toronto:

Bertuzzi - ______ - ______
Domi - Tavares - Nylander
Knies - Kampf - Jarnkrok
Homberg - Dewar - Reaves

Brodie - McCabe
Rielly - Lyubushkin
Edmudsun - Liljegren

Edmonton:

RNH - ______ - Hyman
McLeod - ______ - Foegele
Kane - Henrique - Perry
Janmark - Carrick - Brown

Ekholm - Bouchard
Nurse - Ceci
Desharnais - Kulak

Pretty much this and as much as people pile on about the Oilers back end they are simply much better as a group than the Leafs.

 

[McVespa99]

He’s a very good defenseman for sure and pretty consistently better than Rielly defensively, I just really do not see him as a better player overall.

Then there is just no hope for you Might as well become a cricket fan

 

[Buck Naked]

One of those players is on the #1PP while the other has not been.

Don't forget that he was so good on the PP1 last year that Toronto signed John Klingberg to take over that spot. That's how good Rielly is.

 

[The Nuge]

Who was the best Oilers defenseman in 2015?

Sekera was a good hockey player, but not #1 material, at least in 2015

Klefbom. He was proving to be a legit #1 that year (although he really broke out the next year). He got voted about the 20th best dman in the league on HF back then. By 2016 when Larsson arrived, Sekera was down on the 2nd pairing with Kris Russell. At his peak he was a borderline #2, or very good #3.

It sucks because we actually nearly had a legitimate powerhouse defense and then we lost Sekera to injury at 31 years old, right as Klefbom was really establishing himself, and then we lost Klefbom to injury at 26 years old, right as Nurse was establishing himself.

Regardless, I’m pretty sure OP’s point was just that it’s not fair to lump him in with Pouliot because he was a good dman, who any team in the league would have happily put in their top 4.

 

[authentic]

Don't forget that he was so good on the PP1 last year that Toronto signed John Klingberg to take over that spot. That's how good Rielly is.

His stats on the powerplay are as good as Klingberg’s were in his prime

 

[Tobias Kahun]

Only could a leafs fan think Rielly = Ekholm defensively

 

[Tobias Kahun]

A 60-70 point defenseman is straight up not better than a 30-40 point one? I don’t know about that. Rielly isn’t nearly as bad defensively as people seem to think. He certainly can be but when he’s at his best he is capable of playing great defense while still producing offensively. Even if Ekholm was better overall it’s hard to imagine the difference is so clearcut as is being portrayed in this thread


Look at their playoff stats for instance, Rielly has 37 points in 50 games +12, Ekholm has 42 points in 87 games +12, and Ekholm is clearly better?

Okay then.

Bouchard > Rielly then.

 

[authentic]

Only could a leafs fan think Rielly = Ekholm defensively

He’s not as good defensively, but there is quite a gap there in their offense

 

[Tobias Kahun]

He’s not as good defensively, but there is quite a gap there in their offense

But if we're going by points, especially in the playoffs.

Bouchard > Rielly.