Speculation: Would Morgan Rielly be the #1 pick this year?

[Rielly4]

I think Riellys the best player from his draft, although Galch is great and Yak isnt done, he will score 40 goals at some point.

But if i could redraft with the oilers #1 pick i would pick Morgan Rielly if i was them. Ryan Murray may have been the better all around guy at the time and still is but Rielly has a higher ceiling as i think he can be a great two way guy with great wheels vision and skill.

 

[Cor]

Ekblad
Rielly
Reinhart
Bennett

 

[JackJ]

I think Riellys the best player from his draft, although Galch is great and Yak isnt done, he will score 40 goals at some point.

Yak will bolt back to russia before that ever happens.

 

[kihei]

But why isolate Rielly from the rest of his draft class. If Rielly might be the #1 or #2 of this year's crop, then where does one place Murray, Trouba, Galchenyuk, Lindholm, and Yakupov from last year's crop? How desperate are we to feel good about ourselves?

 

[Green Snow Storm]

He'd be ranked up there with Bennett, Reinhart, and Ekblad at the top.

 

[The_Chosen_One]

Rielly is several underrated here. The top three in this draft are safe picks rather than the class that we saw in 2012. Right now, the Kool Aid is clouding a number in this thread, but I see Morgan producing high offensive numbers. I am thinking close-to-PPG, elite, puck moving defenceman.

This upcoming draft is fairly deep, but the top three aren't going to be franchise-level pieces. If I was picking at that level, I'd take a gamble, but I think we're better off securing some later-round firsts and at highest a 10-15 1st rounder without sacrificing our pick.

 

[Super Mega]

Only player similar to Rielly is Honka, and Rielly well out classes him. Cant really compare much to the others without understanding the needs of the team. I think the leafs wanted a puck mover QB, offensive minded D that could grow into a more 2 way player (over murray who projected to be more rounded already, also 2nd ovr). That I think is part of why they chose Rielly.

I think Rielly played conservative this season but already showing maturity, there is little question he will be impactful next season. He looked improved when paired with a semi-competent partner in Tim "Edge of the Grave" Gleason. If he shifts up to higher pairings he will only look better.

 

[-DeMo-]

Rielly is several underrated here. The top three in this draft are safe picks rather than the class that we saw in 2012. Right now, the Kool Aid is clouding a number in this thread, but I see Morgan producing high offensive numbers. I am thinking close-to-PPG, elite, puck moving defenceman.

This upcoming draft is fairly deep, but the top three aren't going to be franchise-level pieces. If I was picking at that level, I'd take a gamble, but I think we're better off securing some later-round firsts and at highest a 10-15 1st rounder without sacrificing our pick.

So your projecting Rielly to be the best offensive dmen or 2nd best in the league?

 

[ULF_55]

But why isolate Rielly from the rest of his draft class. If Rielly might be the #1 or #2 of this year's crop, then where does one place Murray, Trouba, Galchenyuk, Lindholm, and Yakupov from last year's crop? How desperate are we to feel good about ourselves?

I wasthinking the same thing.

Lindholm played a key role on a good team, Trouba proved himself and had 1 less point in 13 less games than Rielly.

Rielly could possibly be out of the top 5 if you added players drafted after him into this draft class.

 

[Mess]

I was thinking the same thing.

Lindholm played a key role on a good team, Trouba proved himself and had 1 less point in 13 less games than Rielly.

Rielly could possibly be out of the top 5 if you added players drafted after him into this draft class.

Lets not forget Rielly's draft was 2012 which is 2 years ago. There is also the 2013 draft class with MacKinnon, Monahan, Seth Jones and company from the 2013 draft class between these two drafts also.

Its really hard to isolate just one player now 20 and compare him to a bunch of 18 year olds from this draft without the big picture and including everyone else involved.

 

[LeafsFIO*]

Ekblad is a combination of Chris Pronger and Shea Weber...no.

Rielly might turn out to be a poor man's Duncan Keith but Ek is the sure-fired franchise defenceman.

I'd take Rielly over any of the forwards in this draft though.

 

[613Leafer]

Well you can't compare Rielly's post-draft year or this past year. You have to compare apples to apples, which is his draft year to their draft year.

Unfortunately, Rielly was injured for the majority of his draft year, which makes this comparison essentially impossible. We at best have an educated guess as to how he would have performed that season if healthy. Something between his 2010-2011 and 2012-2013 seasons.

My guess? He'd probably be somewhere in the 4-6 range.

 

[TheGroceryStick]

Ekblad must be one helluva D-man if he is better than Morgan...Who do they compare him to?

Very high on Ekblad; think he will be a horse when he gets settled in at Pro.

I seriously see a can't miss number 1 or 2 Dman that is an eventual captain.

Combining the 2 drafts:

1.Ekblad
2.Murray
3.S.Reinhart
4.Galchenyuk
5.Rielly
6.Trouba
7.Yakupov
8.Bennett
9.Lindholm
10.G.Reinhart

(that was done quick, so don't nitpick too hard)

 

[Mess]

Ekblad is a combination of Chris Pronger and Shea Weber...no.

Rielly might turn out to be a poor man's Duncan Keith but Ek is the sure-fired franchise defenceman.

I'd take Rielly over any of the forwards in this draft though.

I see Ekblad becoming a similar player to Victor Hedman of the Lightning.

 

[Mess]

Well you can't compare Rielly's post-draft year or this past year. You have to compare apples to apples, which is his draft year to their draft year.

Unfortunately, Rielly was injured for the majority of his draft year, which makes this comparison essentially impossible. We at best have an educated guess as to how he would have performed that season if healthy. Something between his 2010-2011 and 2012-2013 seasons.

My guess? He'd probably be somewhere in the 4-6 range.

Well this is the key here ..

The thing about evaluating prospects in their draft class is all about future NHL impact potential.. Seeing Rielly already an NHLer in comparison is getting a view 2 years into the future when you compare him to players still undrafted.

I bet the 2014 draft class in a couple years of viewing later would be a different re-do of their own draft class once we can see future results and factor them in. That is the case for all drafts.

If anything Rielly should be compared to his own draft class 2 years later now and see where he might go today in comparison to where he went in 2012 originally.

 

[therealkoho]

depending on need:

My BPA would go: (with Rielly inserted)
1.Ekblad
2.Reinhart
3.Rielly

that makes sense because Ekblad and Reinhart really shone against NHL competition last season

 

[Patty Lee]

Lets not forget Rielly's draft was 2012 which is 2 years ago. There is also the 2013 draft class with MacKinnon, Monahan, Seth Jones and company from the 2013 draft class between these two drafts also.

Its really hard to isolate just one player now 20 and compare him to a bunch of 18 year olds from this draft without the big picture and including everyone else involved.

I would assume the OP was talking 18 to 18, not 20 to 18

 

[kyleblogskyle]

I see Ekblad becoming a similar player to Victor Hedman of the Lightning.

Yes. Weber and Pronger are terrible comparisons. If you are drafting Ekblad expecting that type of player, you will be disappointed.

I would say something similar to Jay Bouwmeester or Victor Hedman. Big. Smart. Can go unnoticed on the ice (in a good way).

He was granted exceptional player status, and brought into the OHL underage, so he has skill, but isn't flashy.

Source; I live in Barrie.

 

[Mess]

I would assume the OP was talking 18 to 18, not 20 to 18

Rielly played only 18 games in his draft year due to injury.

Seeing he played out in the West I doubt many Leaf fans would have seen him play in his draft year to compare him at age 18 verses this draft class.

So anyone ranking would be doing it based on being influenced on what they have seen so far as it would be hard not to and erase and pretend they don't have extra information.

 

[Patty Lee]

Rielly played only 18 games in his draft year due to injury.

Seeing he played out in the West I doubt many Leaf fans would have seen him play in his draft year to compare him at age 18 verses this draft class.

So anyone ranking would be doing it based on being influenced on what they have seen so far as it would be hard not to and erase and pretend they don't have extra information.

hey I'm not the OP so I can't say for sure.

but it would be stupid to compare them any other way so I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt

 

[ponder]

Rielly, in his draft year, I would have pegged around 4th overall in this draft (behind Reinhart, Ekblad and Bennett). I see those guys as the clear top 3 this year, and a notch above Reilly in his draft year. I'd personally take "draft year Rielly" over guys like Dal Colle and Draisaitl, but I can see opinions going either way.

 

[Mess]

hey I'm not the OP so I can't say for sure.

but it would be stupid to compare them any other way so I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt

This whole thread is kind on nonsensical on premises alone as has been mentioned earlier of picking just a single player out of previous draft without not also including everyone else also selected in 2012 and 2013 also.

This is completely fictitious as far as draft eligible players go in their own draft years.

The 2014 draft class is not seen a strong year so taking anyone from a previous one that was consider stronger would likely appear near the top.

 

[Durrr]

This whole thread is kind on nonsensical on premises alone as has been mentioned earlier of picking just a single player out of previous draft without not also including everyone else also selected in 2012 and 2013 also.

This is completely fictitious as far as draft eligible players go in their own draft years.

The 2014 draft class is not seen a strong year so taking anyone from a previous one that was consider stronger would likely appear near the top.

Its not non nonsensical at all lol, any player from any of those drafts besides Rielly is/are completely irrelevant because were trying to draw/make comparisons to only the single player. The question is simply where Rielly would rank in this draft class if he were an 18 year old going into the draft again.

 

[Green Snow Storm]

Ekblad is a combination of Chris Pronger and Shea Weber...no.

Rielly might turn out to be a poor man's Duncan Keith but Ek is the sure-fired franchise defenceman.

I'd take Rielly over any of the forwards in this draft though.

If you think that you're going to be awfully disappointed in Ekblad.

 

[Ace88*]

But why isolate Rielly from the rest of his draft class. If Rielly might be the #1 or #2 of this year's crop, then where does one place Murray, Trouba, Galchenyuk, Lindholm, and Yakupov from last year's crop? How desperate are we to feel good about ourselves?

Lol this. Exactly this.