Player Discussion Morgan Rielly

ToneDog

56 years and counting. #FireTheShanaClan!
Jun 11, 2017
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People ragging on Rielly like anything this playoffs was his fault. People need to watch other teams to understand what we have in Morgan. He may not be a clear cut #1 D, but he is certainly a top pairing Dman.

Tell me wise ones, who in UFA are we replacing this guy with? Once he is gone, you are all going to be clamoring for a PMD like him. We literally have NO ONE in the system that can replace what he does.

This place is so predictable.
We are something like 24-3-2 without him in the lineup. I think we will be fine.
 
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JT AM da real deal

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Oct 4, 2018
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Went from his best playoffs last year, looking like a bonafide #1 D to his worst playoffs this year barely looking like a #4. Maybe injury related? I’d be happy with somewhere in the middle. But we need another top pairing guy.
Actually pretty easy to understand .. Tampa plays an up tempo chance for chance type of game which is ideal for Rielly .. he thrives in those type of games .. but Cats and Bruins play a dump chase and cycle game in half ice type games where there are tons of puck battles .. those types of games Rielly is dog sh*t in .. he also looked great against Montreal who paly more like Tampa .. Rielly real issue is he doesn't have a complete game .. it is same issue Mitch has too
 
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ToneDog

56 years and counting. #FireTheShanaClan!
Jun 11, 2017
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You should check out our line-up without Matthews and Marner.
We are actually below 500 w/o Marner but our record without Matthews is not as good as it is without Rielly. Our D actually look like they know how to play D when Rielly is not in the line up. It is quite the phenomenon.
 

Ports

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Dec 7, 2017
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He and Mitch are ideally suited for da rover position which was eliminated from da game .. neither can handle da responsibilities of positions they line up in .. i think we are better off as a TEAM without both of them .. we can never play playoff hockey with their games .. and JT is just too slow to play C in playoffs .. 3 guys who make a ton of CAP with lots of playoff issues .. no TEAM can withstand it
Totally agree. Hopefully Tre does too.
 

Ports

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Dec 7, 2017
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He was ok all season with the corpse of Brodie on his pair. Once Brodie was moved off and even someone as bad as Lybushkin took his spot he was instantly better..
He was a ghost in the playoffs. Bad defensively and his usual black hole on the PP. Lyubushkin was better than Rielly in that series and that’s not a good thing for your highest paid dman.

Your spinning off in another direction. I didnt bring up the Avs (who are flailing out of the playoffs ATM due to goaltending differential) to compare them to the Leafs in that way.

But since we're in the Rielly thread, like I said before, Rielly has the same awful PP numbers as the rest of the gang but his direct comparables at even strength would include Cale Makar except Rielly has better defensive numbers. Rielly is easily one of the most valuable playoff dmen at ES the last half decade.


its just strange to me and Ive been warning about this for years now.

1. Everyone agrees goaltending is maybe the most important thing in the playoffs.
2. Campbell, Campbell, Samsonov, Samsonov vs. Price, Vasy, Bobronski, Swayman in the playoffs leads to Leafs losing. (duh)
3. Everyone starts blaming everything else.

We run two goalies that have been kicked out of the league for barely being NHLers against some of the best goalies in hockey and we expect to win? Hell, Samsonov has been benched over the last 2 playoff runs and doesnt seem to take any heat. Any other team fanbase/media and they would at least place a good portion of the blame on goaltending if not all of it. Hell, the only other goalie we've played outside of the two playoff starters we've had is an injury prone rookie who has put up incredible numbers and never taken an L in the playoffs.

If the fanbase continues to wish to destroy the core, thats fine but the big problem there is that they have been the only ones keeping this team in tight series and maybe certain folks around here will finally get their wish for the team to not even make the playoffs next year. (although they might not want it that way after the changes but will get it)
So now staying in a tight series is supposed to be good enough for the fan base ? Sad.
 

Ports

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Dec 7, 2017
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Your spinning off in another direction. I didnt bring up the Avs (who are flailing out of the playoffs ATM due to goaltending differential) to compare them to the Leafs in that way.

But since we're in the Rielly thread, like I said before, Rielly has the same awful PP numbers as the rest of the gang but his direct comparables at even strength would include Cale Makar except Rielly has better defensive numbers. Rielly is easily one of the most valuable playoff dmen at ES the last half decade.


its just strange to me and Ive been warning about this for years now.

1. Everyone agrees goaltending is maybe the most important thing in the playoffs.
2. Campbell, Campbell, Samsonov, Samsonov vs. Price, Vasy, Bobronski, Swayman in the playoffs leads to Leafs losing. (duh)
3. Everyone starts blaming everything else.

We run two goalies that have been kicked out of the league for barely being NHLers against some of the best goalies in hockey and we expect to win? Hell, Samsonov has been benched over the last 2 playoff runs and doesnt seem to take any heat. Any other team fanbase/media and they would at least place a good portion of the blame on goaltending if not all of it. Hell, the only other goalie we've played outside of the two playoff starters we've had is an injury prone rookie who has put up incredible numbers and never taken an L in the playoffs.

If the fanbase continues to wish to destroy the core, thats fine but the big problem there is that they have been the only ones keeping this team in tight series and maybe certain folks around here will finally get their wish for the team to not even make the playoffs next year. (although they might not want it that way after the changes but will get it)
So now staying in a tight series is supposed to be good enough for the fan base ? Sad.
People ragging on Rielly like anything this playoffs was his fault. People need to watch other teams to understand what we have in Morgan. He may not be a clear cut #1 D, but he is certainly a top pairing Dman.

Tell me wise ones, who in UFA are we replacing this guy with? Once he is gone, you are all going to be clamoring for a PMD like him. We literally have NO ONE in the system that can replace what he does.

This place is so predictable.
Montour for one. Yes, knowledgeable hockey fans who’ve watched a player who sucks defensively and can’t play the point on the PP are predictably fed up with watching Rielly’s uninspired play and first round playoff exits.
 

mclaren55

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Apr 12, 2010
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We are actually below 500 w/o Marner but our record without Matthews is not as good as it is without Rielly. Our D actually look like they know how to play D when Rielly is not in the line up. It is quite the phenomenon.

20-17-5 without Marner, 35-19-2 without Matthews. Point is, the records without a player are meaningless, otherwise you should be parroting about trading Matthews to make the team better.

How's this for a stat for everyone piling on Rielly;

19th in playoff scoring among Dmen since drafted while posting a +14
11th in regular season scoring among Dmen since drafted.

Tell me who replaces him?
 

mjd1001

Registered User
May 24, 2022
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Rielly is better than Trouba. Trouba is the most overrated D in the NHL and that contract sucks. It just doesn't get as much attention because they have Adam Fox.
I totally disagree that Rielly is better than Trouba. My opinion..just like you think he is overrated..that is just yours.
 

ToneDog

56 years and counting. #FireTheShanaClan!
Jun 11, 2017
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Richmond Hill, ON
20-17-5 without Marner, 35-19-2 without Matthews. Point is, the records without a player are meaningless, otherwise you should be parroting about trading Matthews to make the team better.

How's this for a stat for everyone piling on Rielly;

19th in playoff scoring among Dmen since drafted while posting a +14
11th in regular season scoring among Dmen since drafted.

Tell me who replaces him?
Hard to say. Via UFA Montour and/or Zadorov. No idea what dman you could bring back from a Marner trade.
 

mclaren55

Registered User
Apr 12, 2010
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Hard to say. Via UFA Montour and/or Zadorov. No idea what dman you could bring back from a Marner trade.
So your plan is to replace one of the best PMD out there, with... Zadorov?

Not sure how to respond to this to be honest.
 

Zybalto

Registered User
Dec 28, 2012
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Just because its being talked about:

Rielly vs Trouba over the last 3 playoff runs:

Rielly:
Goals per game: 2nd among dmen (23 goal season pace)
Points per game: 6th among dmen (69 point season pace)
+/-: +13 ( +43 season pace)

Trouba:
Goals per game: 31st among dmen (5 goal season pace)
Points per game: 37th among dmen (21 point season pace)
+/-: 0 ( +0 season pace)

Taking into account Trouba has had Shesterkin playing behind him over this run and I'm not really sure this comparison should have even been made.
 

egd27

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Jul 8, 2011
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20-17-5 without Marner, 35-19-2 without Matthews. Point is, the records without a player are meaningless, otherwise you should be parroting about trading Matthews to make the team better.

How's this for a stat for everyone piling on Rielly;

19th in playoff scoring among Dmen since drafted while posting a +14
11th in regular season scoring among Dmen since drafted.

Tell me who replaces him?

The magical "true #1D" that every GM in the league is going to offer up for Morgan.
 

ToneDog

56 years and counting. #FireTheShanaClan!
Jun 11, 2017
24,567
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Richmond Hill, ON
So your plan is to replace one of the best PMD out there, with... Zadorov?

Not sure how to respond to this to be honest.
So you want me to tell you who to replace him without knowing what's available via trade? That is for Tre to figure out. Interesting you did not mention Montour?

The Leafs have shown that that are slow to make moves. They usually buy high and sell low. The time to move on from Rielly is now. In a year or two, he will be more difficult to move. Honest.
 
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mclaren55

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Apr 12, 2010
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So you want me to tell you who to replace him without knowing what's available via trade? That is for Tre to figure out. Interesting you did not mention Montour?

The Leafs have shown that that are slow to make moves. They usually buy high and sell low. The time to move on from Rielly is now. In a year or two, he will be more difficult to move. Honest.
I like Montour, he is going to get 8.5-9.5mil all day. I think he would be the perfect pairing with Rielly. Putting Zadorov in the same class as either of those guys is a joke though.
 

Stephen

Moderator
Feb 28, 2002
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Stop right there.

Colorado is far ahead of us and has accomplished much more because their core shows up big in the playoffs and ours doesn't. It is absolutely not goaltending that's the difference, go look at Colorado's stars production in the postseason then go look at ours, it's chasms apart.

Goaltending is a minor footnote in the massive difference between us and Colorado.

Yeah, the Avs can flame out from this point onwards and none of it will matter than much cause they got to the winners circle in the 2022 as Stanley Cup champions. Everything is bonus territory.
 

Sypher04

Registered User
Jan 20, 2011
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I like Montour, he is going to get 8.5-9.5mil all day. I think he would be the perfect pairing with Rielly. Putting Zadorov in the same class as either of those guys is a joke though.

What makes you say that? I’d happily put him on the team at the right price but he is simply not that calibre of defenseman.
 

Stephen

Moderator
Feb 28, 2002
79,441
55,143
People ragging on Rielly like anything this playoffs was his fault. People need to watch other teams to understand what we have in Morgan. He may not be a clear cut #1 D, but he is certainly a top pairing Dman.

Tell me wise ones, who in UFA are we replacing this guy with? Once he is gone, you are all going to be clamoring for a PMD like him. We literally have NO ONE in the system that can replace what he does.

This place is so predictable.

The way accountability works is when you accept blame for something going wrong, however small a share of it you deserve, it also means it’s within your capability to make things right. It means you have the power to change things positively.

When people say it’s not Morgan’s fault for the OT goal or the 1-1, or the powerplay going to shit, what are you saying anyway? He can’t defend better in key situations, make more of an offensive impact earlier in the series, play with motivation and focus when it’s on the line?
 

Stephen

Moderator
Feb 28, 2002
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What makes you say that? I’d happily put him on the team at the right price but he is simply not that calibre of defenseman.

I could see a big overpay there. But when he’s playing like Makar lite someone’s going to pony up.
 

1specter

Registered User
Sep 27, 2016
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Actually pretty easy to understand .. Tampa plays an up tempo chance for chance type of game which is ideal for Rielly .. he thrives in those type of games .. but Cats and Bruins play a dump chase and cycle game in half ice type games where there are tons of puck battles .. those types of games Rielly is dog sh*t in .. he also looked great against Montreal who paly more like Tampa .. Rielly real issue is he doesn't have a complete game .. it is same issue Mitch has too
Rielly looked good against Florida though? He was the only player who was a positive +/- in the series and led scoring as well.
 

1specter

Registered User
Sep 27, 2016
11,105
16,242
People ragging on Rielly like anything this playoffs was his fault. People need to watch other teams to understand what we have in Morgan. He may not be a clear cut #1 D, but he is certainly a top pairing Dman.

Tell me wise ones, who in UFA are we replacing this guy with? Once he is gone, you are all going to be clamoring for a PMD like him. We literally have NO ONE in the system that can replace what he does.

This place is so predictable.
Yeah this place has gone into full delulu again. You got guys out here who'd rather have Trouba at his 8M. Hilarious, people are out of touch with how many bonafide 1Ds are in the league and dudes on here are acting like Mo is Gardiner now.
 

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