The Riikola thing is a reaction against perceived (and in LOGiK's case, definite) overhyping, particularly of a sort driven by refusing to consider quality of competition.
By that logic, JJ is a top pairing D.
Riikola’s problem has been classic. The board got overly excited in the preseason and decided he was a top 4 defenseman. The season he came in was tough because they had Schultz out for most of it, the JJ problem and the team not playing defense. I think he could be a bottom pairing D, which is disappointing after the premature hype, but Sullivan doesn’t seem to see him like that and that means he’s unlikely to reach the actual potential he has here.
I think he’s pretty physically gifted but the IQ isn’t there. He should probably get a number of shifts with Letang right now for Letang’s mental health.
Sometimes I question his physical gifts. He skates well, but I don't think he's an elite skater. He can definitely cause damage when he lines people up, but he often seems to lack strength in board battles. Obviously his reach isn't the blueliner ideal. I guess pretty physically gifted is fair if you consider most NHL dmen are very physically gifted in one area. There's nothing Riikola's awful at, but nothing outstanding.
The IQ thing does seem to be the big one though. He looks like a guy who's always looking for a hero play - the big shot, the big hit. A little more patience wouldn't seem to go amiss. I was reminded of what
@ColePens said about Sully's quote about not just banging it out around the glass maybe being aimed at Riikola. He's an NHL talent, no doubt of it, but a better sense of what he can and can't do would go a huge way.
