Morgan Rielly's rookie season, how would you grade it thus far?

[Pi]

I think I might take Phaneuf over Karlsson, its tough though I agree - would trade gleason for karlsson without blinking its not remotely a debate

Leafs dont need Karlsson, we have Mo and Gards, Leafs need a guy like neuf for intimidation and big body, good shot and I honestly feel a good leader

Phaneuf can't intimidate a fly right now. He has not played well but his goalie has covered his mistakes nicely.

Phaneuf can be so much better but he seems content just standing out there barely moving his legs, yelling wheel.

Phaneuf backs off to any rush...when he should use his size like Chara does and paste the players to the boards. We get outshot because none of the player we have besides Gleason even attempt to disrupt a player coming into our zone from the neutral zone.

Look at how the kings handled JvR and Kessel...you don't go through their zone without getting touched and in our case it's completely the opposite.

 

[Durrr]

Phaneuf can't intimidate a fly right now. He has not played well but his goalie has covered his mistakes nicely.

Phaneuf can be so much better but he seems content just standing out there barely moving his legs, yelling wheel.

Phaneuf backs off to any rush...when he should use his size like Chara does and paste the players to the boards. We get outshot because none of the player we have besides Gleason even attempt to disrupt a player coming into our zone from the neutral zone.

Look at how the kings handled JvR and Kessel...you don't go through their zone without getting touched and in our case it's completely the opposite.

You're being way harsh on Dion. He's had a couple bad games lately but this has been by far his best year defensively. You need to realize that he's playing the role of a stay at home defender so that the forwards on that line can fly, and that it might even be a coaching decision to ground him. RC had the entire defense on extremely short leashes this year and it's pretty obvious he had to adjust because of the lack of offense coming from the back end.

 

[zeke]

Dion's injured. Still playing well, though.

 

[Pi]

You're being way harsh on Dion. He's had a couple bad games lately but this has been by far his best year defensively. You need to realize that he's playing the role of a stay at home defender so that the forwards on that line can fly, and that it might even be a coaching decision to ground him. RC had the entire defense on extremely short leashes this year and it's pretty obvious he had to adjust because of the lack of offense coming from the back end.

Dion is so much more than just a stay at home defender but Carlyle isn't giving him an opportunity to do much with the puck. I don't know why Dion has to start in his own zone every shift when we can put him with Rielly and Gunnarsson with Gardiner and make our top 4 more balanced.

Phaneuf can be a 50 point D. I expect more from him because I know he can be much better.

Phaneuf and Rielly on the first PP would be a start. Phaneuf shooting the puck more on the PP can be a start.

It is a myth that Phaneuf doesn't have an accurate shot. Our PP is tanking because Phaneuf and Franson do not elect to shoot from the point at all. It's all Kessel and JvR.

What's the point of a #1D if we are going to use him ineffectively...

Carlyle makes a lot of mistakes with the roster. This team shouldn't be as bad possession wise as they have shown.

More ice time for Phaneuf in the offensive zone would lead to the great plays he made against Anaheim and LA and keep the puck in the neutral or offensive zone rather than our zone.

 

[johnny_rudeboy]

Mike Green had a 30 goal 75 point season did he not? Not really sure how you can't say the very exact same thing about him in his prime (but I'm guessing it's because he didn't get that norris). They are the exact same breed of player, lets see if Karlsson can actually sustain it.

I am not saying Mike Green was bad or anything. He was one of the best offensive d-man during his two prime seasons. But during that time he played on a team who came in 1st and 4th in the league, who had the best or second best PP in a time when the amount of PP was higher then just a couple of seasons after. Caps had 337 PP opportunities when Green scored 31 goals but that only ranked them 19th in terms of PP opportunities (Carolina was ranked 1st with 374 PP Opp) but compare that to the 11/12 season when Ottawa had 270 PP Opp ranking them 13th and the leader Philadelphia had 335.

I think that Karlssons best season when he had 78 points is much more impressive then Greens 31 goal season considering he played on a much worse team, the PP opportunities was fewer and that he separated him self from the other d-mans in terms of points in a more impressive way.

09/10 Caps 313 PP Opp (10th) PP 25.2% (1st)
MK, 75 GP, 19 G, 57, A, 76 P (10 G, 25 A, 35 P = 46% of points comes from the PP)
MK was 7 points better then his closest rival (Keith who had 69 points) average for the top 10 d-man after MK was 54 points.
MK spent 379:48 minutes on the PP (2nd among defenceman around the league)

08/09 Caps 337 PP Opp (19th) PP 25.2% (2nd)
MK, 68 GP, 31 G, 42 A, 73 P (On the PP 18 G, 20 A, 38 P = 52% of the points comes from the PP)
MK was 9 points better then his closest rival (Markov who had 64 points) average for the top 10 d-man after MK was 56 points.
MK spent 365:59 minutes on the PP (6th among defenceman around the league)


11/12 Sens 270 PP Opp (13th) PP 18.2% (11th)
EK had 81 GP, 19 G, 59 A, 78 P (On the PP 3 G, 25 A, 28 P = 35% of points from the PP)
EK was 25 points better then his closest rival (Byfuglien with 52 points) average for the top 10 d-man after EK was 49 points.
EK spent 315:31 minutes in the PP (5th among defenceman around the league)

 

[phillipmike]

Easily an A.

He has done things I never thought he could have done nor expected of him at his age.

He only played 60 games in the WHL and 14 games with the AHL after being drafted and made the jump to the NHL. He had a terrible start to his NHL career defensively and some can argue overall. Like most prospects that could have really messed him up mentally and could have hurt his development. But he made a complete 180 and took a full time NHL spot. And as a 19/20 year old that is extremely rare. Plus he is doing it while putting up very good offensive numbers. Defensemen take a long time to develop so I will be patient but I see top pairing potential that scouts project him to be.

Leafs have a great player if he keeps developing this way. Absolutely astonishing for 19 year old DEFENSEMEN to be playing this well in his ROOKIE season in a market like TORONTO.

Leafs have a great core in Phaneuf, Rielly, Gardiner and Gunnarson. Makes Franson expendable and we can keep Gleason as a 6th defensemen. Leafs can really improve if they can acquire a real solid top 4 defender to replace Franson. Though those type of defenders are hard to acquire.

 

[Super Mega]

Easily an A.

He has done things I never thought he could have done nor expected of him at his age.

He only played 60 games in the WHL and 14 games with the AHL after being drafted and made the jump to the NHL. He had a terrible start to his NHL career defensively and some can argue overall. Like most prospects that could have really messed him up mentally and could have hurt his development. But he made a complete 180 and took a full time NHL spot. And as a 19/20 year old that is extremely rare. Plus he is doing it while putting up very good offensive numbers. Defensemen take a long time to develop so I will be patient but I see top pairing potential that scouts project him to be.

Leafs have a great player if he keeps developing this way. Absolutely astonishing for 19 year old DEFENSEMEN to be playing this well in his ROOKIE season in a market like TORONTO.

Leafs have a great core in Phaneuf, Rielly, Gardiner and Gunnarson. Makes Franson expendable and we can keep Gleason as a 6th defensemen. Leafs can really improve if they can acquire a real solid top 4 defender to replace Franson. Though those type of defenders are hard to acquire.

why not keep Franson if we can get him for 2-2.5? Could use him on 1st PP or 2nd if you want to rest Dion. I actually think Franson can flourish with a no-nonsense DFD, lets not forget how effective he was with Fraser, Gleason is just a straight upgrade all around.

Gardiner - Phaneuf
Rielly - Gunnarson
Gleason - Franson

PP
Rielly - Phaneuf
Gardiner - Franson

 

[Pi]

why not keep Franson if we can get him for 2-2.5? Could use him on 1st PP or 2nd if you want to rest Dion. I actually think Franson can flourish with a no-nonsense DFD, lets not forget how effective he was with Fraser, Gleason is just a straight upgrade all around.

Gardiner - Phaneuf
Rielly - Gunnarson
Gleason - Franson

PP
Rielly - Phaneuf
Gardiner - Franson

Franson isn't worth the headache at any cost...unreliable defensively and always hard to sign in the offseason.

Ship him out as soon as our season ends. IMO, Franson thinks too highly of himself but can't back it up on the ice.

If it was up to me, I would trade him to a rival team like Montreal or Ottawa so we can abuse him for years.

 

[GenericFan2*]

B- or B. Started off really poorly, slowly began to get a feel for things, now he looks solid. Still, not a standout.

Can't stand how he doesn't shoot the puck, and when he does, it never hits the net.

 

[calcal798]

A.

Im not sure how you could rate this kid much lower. On a team that is ranked third in the conference that has a plethora of offensive defenseman, it will clearly be hard for an offensive oriented rookie defenseman to be provided a tonne of minutes and the same opportunities as other offensive dman. Yet he's managed to score 22 points in 59 games, putting him 7th in rookie dman and 21st for rookies overall.

 

[cookie]

Dion is so much more than just a stay at home defender but Carlyle isn't giving him an opportunity to do much with the puck. I don't know why Dion has to start in his own zone every shift when we can put him with Rielly and Gunnarsson with Gardiner and make our top 4 more balanced.

Phaneuf can be a 50 point D. I expect more from him because I know he can be much better.

Phaneuf and Rielly on the first PP would be a start. Phaneuf shooting the puck more on the PP can be a start.

It is a myth that Phaneuf doesn't have an accurate shot. Our PP is tanking because Phaneuf and Franson do not elect to shoot from the point at all. It's all Kessel and JvR.

What's the point of a #1D if we are going to use him ineffectively...

Carlyle makes a lot of mistakes with the roster. This team shouldn't be as bad possession wise as they have shown.

More ice time for Phaneuf in the offensive zone would lead to the great plays he made against Anaheim and LA and keep the puck in the neutral or offensive zone rather than our zone.

I'm not sure if it is Carlyle's fault that Dion's been so immobile ever since playing for the Leafs. I faintly remember something like a leg gash that he played through and I believe that may have hampered his ability to skate. For everything else, I'd put the blame solely on RC's shoulders, particularly the fact that our defense corps is so unbalanced. Almost anytime two of Franson, Gardiner or Rielly are on the ice, I'm legitimately scared of the puck going in our own net.

However, I'm don't think the days of Dion getting 50 points are here anymore. Yes he doesn't miss as often as it is portrayed - there were some stats on that that actually pointed him being one of the best in getting shots on net - but his shot has lost most of its power. I think it may have been due to his reputation as a heavy shooter and the fact that his shot isn't among the elite anymore. When was the last time he scored via a blast from the point? None of our defensemen can do that and that may be a reason why our powerplays are so reliant on Kessel and his god-like ability on the side boards.

Dion passes the statistical tests quite well (corsi, +/-, hits, etc.,) but for me, he does not pass the eye test at all. He can direct all he wants on the ice but at the end of the day, he is slow and his shot is no where near the Chara's and the Weber's (or even the Boychuk's) of the NHL. His passing ability is good and when he rushes the puck, good things happen. He needs to work on his skating and his endurance to be able to take better advantage of his gifts.

 

[phillipmike]

why not keep Franson if we can get him for 2-2.5? Could use him on 1st PP or 2nd if you want to rest Dion. I actually think Franson can flourish with a no-nonsense DFD, lets not forget how effective he was with Fraser, Gleason is just a straight upgrade all around.

Gardiner - Phaneuf
Rielly - Gunnarson
Gleason - Franson

PP
Rielly - Phaneuf
Gardiner - Franson

I would be willing to take another flyer on Franson if he is cheap. Last season he showed for the first time in his career in 48 game season that he was a top 4 defender - I would keep that guy. But this season his defensive game dropped off to where i see him as a PP specialist. Which is the right guy?

I like Franson and he was solid last year. If you can get something decent for him then i would trade him. If interest isnt there then i would give him another shot at a discounted rate (i.e. 2-2.5M).

But the Leafs need a clear upgrade on D... Phaneuf is your number 1. Gunnarsson is solid on an ok contract. Rielly and Gardiner are your young guns with their problems but the Leafs need to stand by them to let them develop. Rielly is untouchable and no one will Gleason on his contract but he is a good player for our bottom pairing. I would admit Gardiner's defensive game needs a lot of work but his offensive game is becoming well above average for a D man and his skating is the best on the team. I want to see him develop more before thinking about moving him - i think trading him will be a mistake.

Which leaves Franson great offensive defencemen with a great shot but his defensive play and skating is bad. For me i would move Franson for a clear upgrade on D. A solid top 4 defender who can fill in on the top pairing - Giordano would be my target. Those guys are hard to acquire but i think its needed. Leafs need experience on D and have one of Rielly or Gardiner playing with Gleason and/or another experienced bonafide top 4 guy will help their development a lot in my opinion. To me i build around Phaneuf, Gunnarsson, Rielly and Gardiner.

 

[Zaled]

Grade B. I thought Rielly was a great pick by Burke and I'm glad to see he's having a good rookie year. This kid has ALOT of potential. I can't wait to see what he will be able to do with a couple more years of experience.

 

[Boreal01]

B or B+.

 

[Puckstuff]

Easily an A hes been amazing for his age... Take it in Rielly is younger then Justin Bieber lol