Morgan Rielly is rapidly becoming the star of Leaf's defense. By mid-season, all this 'is Rielly going or staying talk' will be a distant memory or forgotten.
Sportsnet: Nick Kypreos: Morgan Rielly is expected to remain with Leafs
- Thread starter hockeywiz542
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LeafalCrusader
Registered User
Agreed. We have the cap room to fit everyone in so why make a move? Lets see how we do with a full lineup.
One small thing we need to get straight: there's no way in hell Rielly is going to play at the WJC. He's an important member of the team, looking like one of the top 4 d-men, and no team is going to voluntarily remove one of their regulars for two weeks. Only if he were bouncing in and out of the lineup as a 7th d-man would they consider it.
And while I'm sure Rielly would enjoy the experience, winning a gold medal (maybe) against inferior competition than he now plays against in the NHL won't do anything for his development, so sending him to the WJC is of absolutely no benefit the Leafs whatsoever.
After he wins a gold for Canada at the Olympics, missing the WJC won't even be something he remembers.
NHL experience >> WJC Experience
Leaf Rocket
Leaf Fan Till I Die
This is how my view is as well. I was all for him to head out but the more I see this kid the more it feels like he'll fit in fine and he just seems to get better.
Kept Reilly in at 19. Kadri didn't stick until 23. Remember Don said Kadri could have playing NHL at 19 too but coaching messed with him.
Leaf Rocket
Leaf Fan Till I Die
Not everyone will take the same path. Everyone has their own way and form to get to he bigs, MSL is prolly the face of that.
by game 10 that talk will be distant because........ He is either going to stay or go down by next week
Jack Bauer
Registered User
It's never black and white even after game 10.
Fleury got sent back to Cape Breton in mid-late January of 04 after starting 20 games for the Penguins.
I don't have a video of it to post but I argue that Carlo Colaicovo's dad's reaction was better.
WildcatMapleLeafs28
Registered User
Morgan Rielly has been solid for the Leafs, pair of assists the other night, he looks like he already has a couple NHL seasons under his belt! What a breathe of fresh air.
thatshype
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- Jul 3, 2010
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Rielly is also about 30 pounds heavier than Kadri at age 19. Physically, Rielly is much more prepared to play his game at the NHL level than Kadri was. No need to even bring Kadri into the discussion.
Rielly deserves to stay, and it looks like he will. He's outplaying some of our current D, so I imagine Rielly's spot in the roster is safe when Fraser comes back (Ranger sits, looks like).
rielly is significantly more consistent then kadri was at 19. i cant think of any glaring mistakes that rielly makes and he is also stronger at 19 then kadri was. even at 23 kadri struggles with consistency. one game amazing, one game invisible.
its not a knock on kadri but it appears as if rielly is more ready at 19 then kadri was. we also forget the wilson years which were not beneficial for many of our players. kadri benefited by having eakins i think and now carlyle. if wilson was still coaching i think rielly would struggle as well.
Tak7
Registered User
The big concern with Rielly isn't games 1-9.
It's what happens after.
If he stays, and then hits a wall at game 20 or game 40, then your hands are tied in terms of what you can do.
The "safe" bet would be to send him down regardless of how he plays; there's yet to be a player that played "too much" junior hockey.
However, like others have said, with being able to watch him more you are really able to gather an appreciation for just how smartly he sees and thinks the game. That, and on the puck he's very good. All those are plus points for him staying.
Not sure what I would do. Glad I'm not making the decision - there's good arguments for and against keeping him.
It's what happens after.
If he stays, and then hits a wall at game 20 or game 40, then your hands are tied in terms of what you can do.
The "safe" bet would be to send him down regardless of how he plays; there's yet to be a player that played "too much" junior hockey.
However, like others have said, with being able to watch him more you are really able to gather an appreciation for just how smartly he sees and thinks the game. That, and on the puck he's very good. All those are plus points for him staying.
Not sure what I would do. Glad I'm not making the decision - there's good arguments for and against keeping him.
And the 10 games is 10 games played by the player not the team, so if he continues to play every game, the point of no return (as regards to counting as a year of his ELC) is actually the Leafs' 12th game, because Rielly didn't play in the first two games.
putting reilly back in junior is a big mistake ......maybe loan him to team canada if hes not on pace for a 45 point season ....i have season tickets to junior hockey reilly would lead the play ,,,,,,i mean hed do wonders for weaker players ,,,,,but hed a target for slugs too .....i mean he brings an element of freshness the leafs havnt had from the blueline in years ......IMO ......everybody should watch him play instead of just copying what a reporter or two has to say ......he brings something to table every game ,,,cant say ranger ,gardiner or gunnarson can say the same!!!!!!!!!!!
The Blue Devil
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- Nov 9, 2009
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leafsfuture
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- Mar 30, 2008
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To an extent there are some options.
The most obvious one is to loan him to Hockey Canada for a month for the WJC. Also, we have an option of sending him down to the Marlies for a 2 week conditioning stint (I believe Brayden Schenn did this).
Finally, scratching him periodically isnt the worst thing in the world as long as he gets regular minutes when in the lineup.
Morgan Rielly's performance is probably going to regress. His 5v5 points/60 mins rate is 2nd to only Phaneuf. But his Corsi For % 5v5 is 4th among the Top 6 despite having the greatest offensive zone start bias.
The Leafs are getting ****ed in possession so naturally this is a concern. Not saying that Rielly is a bad possession player. But his production is unsustainable based on those possession numbers.
There is no harm in keeping him around though. The entire team needs to work on their possession game. The problem is probably Carlyle. The Leafs have a lot of new personnel this year. It's hard to think that it's just the personnel and not the coach that sucks at possession game when the Leafs have been struggling with the possession problem ever since they brought in Carlyle pretty much.
The Leafs are getting ****ed in possession so naturally this is a concern. Not saying that Rielly is a bad possession player. But his production is unsustainable based on those possession numbers.
There is no harm in keeping him around though. The entire team needs to work on their possession game. The problem is probably Carlyle. The Leafs have a lot of new personnel this year. It's hard to think that it's just the personnel and not the coach that sucks at possession game when the Leafs have been struggling with the possession problem ever since they brought in Carlyle pretty much.
The Winter Soldier
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- Apr 4, 2011
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diceman934
Help is on the way.
The Leafs have all kinds of options after the 9 games....they can send him back to the WHL at any point in the season.
I wish they would tell him that he is staying or not as they have him afraid to make any mistakes for fear that he is going to be sent back and that is unfair and difficult circumstances in which to play under.
He has so much more game to show and he needs the shackles taken off him....
I wish they would tell him that he is staying or not as they have him afraid to make any mistakes for fear that he is going to be sent back and that is unfair and difficult circumstances in which to play under.
He has so much more game to show and he needs the shackles taken off him....
1.. All of those stats are ******** if you're going to look at them in a blanket.
2. The entire team cannot be bad at "possession". If you took a great "possession" player and put him on the leafs, it's an almost guarantee he becomes a poor "possession" player.
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