Ekholm vs Rielly vs Weegar

[Boreal01]

Disregarding their contracts, how would you currently rank these 3 defencemen from best to worst

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[La Bamba]

Ekholm since joining the Oilers:

79 GP
8 G
32 A
40 PTS
+53

 

[Steven Toast]

Ekholm is the best overall defender of these three.

 

[CycloneSweep]

Defensively Ekholm is the best and his possession numbers and +/- have been godly since coming to the Oilers.
Weegar is on a bad team so it’s a bit difficult to judge and I think Rielly gets a bad rap. Based on this year
Ekholm/Rielly/Weegar

 

[Yepthatsme]

Think it honestly just depends on your teams needs. Ekholm is the best defensively, worst offensively. Weegar is the best two-way. Reilly is the best offensively, worst defensively. From there you just take your pick (although Reilly probably does lag behind a tad compared to the other 2).

With my bias I’d take Weegar, guy has been a force this season. One of the bright spots of the Flames.

 

[AvroArrow]

Defensively Ekholm is by far the best, overall I like Rielly's all around game the best. He's average defensively, not horrible, not great, but a really good skater, good on the PP, great passer and good in transition.

 

[Cup or Bust]

Right now performance wise I would go with Ekholm overall. I believe in his 78 games with the Oilers he has 8 goals, 39 points and is +50. He also plays with Even Bouchard who is horrendous defensively. From an age and overall ability standpoint I would pick Morgan Reilly of the 3 for my franchise but performance wise right now, Ekholm.

 

[Craig Button]

Defensively Ekholm is by far the best, overall I like Rielly's all around game the best. He's average defensively, not horrible, not great, but a really good skater, good on the PP, great passer and good in transition.

The guy is absolutely horrible defensively.

 

[AvroArrow]

The guy is absolutely horrible defensively.

He is not, I have seen some dog shit defenders being a fan of Toronto. He is not one of them.

Gardiner
Barrie
Marincin
Lebda

Were/are absolutely horrible defensively, Rielly is fine, people just lose their mind because he isn't an elite shutdown D. He's a really good #2 D-man. He was phenomenal in the playoffs last year as well. I wont ever call him elite defensively because he isn't even close, but he's not horrible.

 

[Captain97]

Ekholm is the best, then Weegar or Rielly are very similar comes down to whose having an up vs down year. And team needs imo.

 

[Skolman]

Ekholm is an absolute rock.

Definitely the best here, great trade by Holland

Ekholm since joining the Oilers:

79 GP
8 G
32 A
40 PTS
+53

Wild

 

[Haatley]

Ekholm is the best, then Weegar or Rielly are very similar comes down to whose having an up vs down year. And team needs imo.

Weegar and Rielly are not similar players at all. Weegar is far better defensively, plays with more of an edge and has a better shot.

 

[Captain97]

Weegar and Rielly are not similar players at all. Weegar is far better defensively, plays with more of an edge and has a better shot.

I meant similar in terms of how's I'd rank them, not playstyle. Hence the part of my post regarding it would come down to team needs as they provide very different things.

 

[biturbo19]

Rielly is the clear cut top guy here. He's effectively in a different class as a true #1D.


After that...i'd go Ekholm > Weegar.

Fascinating results here though. Kind of all over the place.

 

[Skolman]

Rielly is the clear cut top guy here. He's effectively in a different class as a true #1D.


After that...i'd go Ekholm > Weegar.

Fascinating results here though. Kind of all over the place.

Wtf is this

It's really not all over the place...

Literally only Leafs fans believe Rielly is the top guy here, of course...

 

[biturbo19]

Wtf is this

It's really not all over the place...

Literally only Leafs fans believe Rielly is the top guy here, of course...

It absolutely is all over the place. There are plenty of votes that have each of Ekholm and Weegar as either first...or last. And even a decent number of votes that have Rielly first...or last. And they're certainly not all Leafs fans. I'm not a Leafs fan and frankly, i don't even think it's close between him and the other two. He's just flat out better and more impactful all around, without as much support or others to bear the brunt of matchups and tough minutes consistently.

 

[Skolman]

It absolutely is all over the place. There are plenty of votes that have each of Ekholm and Weegar as either first...or last. And even a decent number of votes that have Rielly first...or last. And they're certainly not all Leafs fans. I'm not a Leafs fan and frankly, i don't even think it's close between him and the other two. He's just flat out better and more impactful all around, without as much support or others to bear the brunt of matchups and tough minutes consistently.

41 votes for Ekholm as the #1
22 votes for Weeger as the #1
15 votes for Rielly as #1(the heavy majority Leafs fans)

But ya, sure. Good post.

 

[Tobias Kahun]

It absolutely is all over the place. There are plenty of votes that have each of Ekholm and Weegar as either first...or last. And even a decent number of votes that have Rielly first...or last. And they're certainly not all Leafs fans. I'm not a Leafs fan and frankly, i don't even think it's close between him and the other two. He's just flat out better and more impactful all around, without as much support or others to bear the brunt of matchups and tough minutes consistently.

Oilers score at a better rate with Ekholm on the ice than Toronto does with Rielly.

They also give up fewer goals, shots, scoring chances, high danger chances.

 

[biturbo19]

41 votes for Ekholm as the #1
22 votes for Weeger as the #1
15 votes for Rielly as #1(the heavy majority Leafs fans)

But ya, sure. Good post.

You're completely misconstruing two different points here. Rielly appears to be the least popular choice for the best in this poll. I vehemently disagree, but that is what it is. He's really not so far off Weegar anyway.

My point is...within that order, there's a ton of all over the place voting, regardless of who is "first". Weegar has a ton of votes for "last place" too. As does Ekholm even.

But ya, sure. Good post.

Oilers score at a better rate with Ekholm on the ice than Toronto does with Rielly.

They also give up fewer goals, shots, scoring chances, high danger chances.

I wonder if that has anything to do with the fact Ekholm has played ~75% of his minutes at 5v5 this year with at least one of McDavid or Draisaitl on the ice? Hmmm...

 

[BKarchitect]

Far from a Leafs fan but I feel like Rielly is a bit underrated. He by far has to do the most comparatively on his blueline…he’s not perfect or a superstar but that Leafs blueline looks pretty awful without him.

Ekholm has a burgeoning Bouchard and Nurse (also underrated at this point) as 22+ minute guys around him and can really just focus on being an even strength and PK cog. Weegar is third after Andersson and Hanifin on the Flames (I guess second now).

Rielly puts in 24+ minutes a night in all situations and the second and third guys in ice time on his team are the corpse of TJ Brodie and Jake McCabe.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

Ekholm/Rielly
Weegar