How the Toronto Maple Leafs Can See Morgan Rielly Bounce Back

One of the longest storylines around the Toronto Maple Leafs has been the future of defenceman Morgan Rielly, who will be hoping for a bounce-back season with the team this year.

The 32-year-old from Vancouver, British Columbia, is the longest-tenured player on the Leafs roster, having been selected fifth overall in the 2012 Draft and making his debut in the 2013-14 campaign, and is hoping to stick around for as long as he can, especially as he sits just 49 games shy of hitting 1,000 games played with the franchise.

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Hitting that milestone would make him just the sixth player in Maple Leafs history to do so, sitting behind franchise legends such as George Armstrong (1188), Tim Horton (1184), Börje Salming (1099), Dave Keon (1062), and Ron Ellis (1034). Rielly currently sits seventh on the list, just 30 games behind the Leafs’ Senior Executive Advisor of Hockey Operations Mats Sundin.

That achievement could have been taken away from him had he been traded this off-season, as many believed would happen, but the hope is now that he can be rejuvenated and play an important role in a bounce-back season for both player and team alike.

Morgan Rielly’s Struggles

Rielly has had a difficult two seasons, which unsurprisingly coincided with Craig Berube‘s tenure as head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The long-time Leafs blueliner has always been a predominantly offensive-minded player, yet Berube’s style of hockey called for a heavy amount of defensive responsibility, and Rielly’s usage became a problem as he is not so comfortable playing in his own end.

He consistently played over 21 minutes a game and still had decent offensive numbers despite his issues in the defensive zone, where he combined for a -26 between 2024 and 2026. He had 41 points and 36 points, respectively, which sit comfortably in the serviceable range in the NHL. The problem, though, is that the Leafs were effectively playing Rielly as a number one, and that is not enough for a player in that role.

Rielly was used far too often in a role that doesn’t suit his style of play. Rielly may be better suited to a third/fourth defenceman role while being deployed predominantly in the offensive zone, with some power-play minutes helping to put him in a position to contribute in front of the opposing team’s net.

With Berube gone and Hiller now in place, the hope will be that Rielly can find his feet again and be the productive player the Leafs need, in a more suitable role.

How Rielly Can Bounce Back

Firstly, Rielly has already begun playing alongside recently acquired Darren Raddysh. This could immediately help Rielly get back to being the player the Toronto Maple Leafs need him to be.

Raddysh is best deployed when the Leafs are on the offensive, already in the opposing team’s zone, and Rielly could thrive playing alongside him in that role. Raddysh is more of a point man, floating along the edge of the neutral zone, while Rielly could become a facilitator closer to the boards who can supply him with passes for one-timers that will inevitably find the net if they are sent in with enough frequency.

Rielly will find his usage on the power play drop down to the second unit, with Raddysh taking the quarterback role with the first. This leaves the long-time Leaf playing fewer minutes, but not being relied on as heavily as in recent seasons to carry the load, which should help relieve some pressure and let Rielly play the game he is comfortable with at even strength.

Managing his minutes better can also help Rielly. He was used like a number one, but the Leafs should be looking to deploy him almost exclusively in offensive or neutral zone starts, avoiding his own end as often as possible to give more of the defensive-focused blueliners a chance to play to their own strengths, with Jake McCabe and Chris Tanev the leaders in that regard.

Having Rielly and Raddysh playing in the offensive zone with forwards such as Auston Matthews, Gavin McKenna, John Tavares, and William Nylander could see him boost his offensive production once again and eclipse 40 points comfortably this season, with 50 points even a possibility if his usage is favourable to his skills.

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