THE KID HAS A POINT
Rielly finds success, at the ripe old age of 22, isn’t all about goals and assists,
As Morgan Rielly’s games-played odometer rolls to No. 250 on Friday, the 22-year-old Maple Leafs defenceman acknowledges he’s not about the numbers.
And perhaps that’s a good thing, since coach Mike Babcock has designated Rielly as the team’s top defenceman — in a shutdown role — while limiting his power-play time, where Rielly might light things up.
“He’d do really good there, and he’d do really good chasing around the rink and joining the rush every single play,” Babcock said. “We still like him in the rush, and going at the right time, but we want him to play against the best players. We think that’s best for his development.”
Rielly has no goals and six assists this season, even though he’s logged more minutes than any other Leafs skater (294:23, or 22:30 per game).
He is second to Zach Hyman in short-handed ice time, but 11th on the team in power-play duty (33 seconds a game).
“Me and Babcock have had that conversation and I’m really happy with the role I’m in,” said Rielly. “This year, more than ever, I should take a lot of pride playing against the other team’s best line and really embrace that role.
“When it comes to playing the power play, I don’t even think about it. I just think about doing my job. Right now, that’s playing against the best line. I’ve got my hands full with that.”
Rielly is a minus-three, but his possession numbers at even strength have him at 52.5 per cent, suggesting the Leafs control the puck more than the opposition when he’s on the ice.
“You’ve got to remember every once in a while he’s not 28,” Babcock said. “He’s got a lot to learn. He knows it. What I like, he comes every day with a great attitude, wants to be better. He wants to be the best he can be, and he brings that attitude with a relaxed disposition.”
To be fair, the Leafs’ power play may not need Rielly’s help. It’s zooming along as the sixth-best in the league, at 22.9 per cent efficiency, with defencemen Jake Gardiner and Nikita Zaitsev playing key roles. The penalty kill, meanwhile, ranks eighth (85.7 per cent) with Rielly — plus Martin Marincin and Roman Polak — playing big minutes.
It’s a blessing, to a degree, to have a player as young as Rielly with this much experience. There are rookies older than him, and others in his age group look to him for leadership.
“When he first broke into the league, he’s a guy I would watch because we’re the same draft year,” said defenceman Connor Carrick, with 66 NHL games to his credit. “I always like the way he played the game, the way he saw the ice, the way he skated. He’s got a number of accolades for his age — the 250 mark. The World Cup was great recognition for him.”
At 250 games played, Rielly will tie Bob Nevin for 128th in team history (legend Bill Barilko is next at 252), but he’s fifth among current Leafs. When players retire, they often speak about how quickly their time in the NHL passed and tell today’s players to enjoy themselves. Rielly seems cognizant of that.
“Looking back, it goes by really fast,” Rielly said. “But you make memories and you try to get better every day, and try to get better as a person and as a player. Before you know it, you look back and you’re in your fourth year. It goes by really fast. You just want to make the most of it and enjoy it.”
He keeps the puck from his first goal — on the power play, against Marc-Andre Fleury of the Pittsburgh Penguins — at his Toronto home.
“When I came in, when I was 19, I was given an opportunity to play,” Rielly said. “Moving forward, you want to get better. It’s not about how old you are. It’s not about how many games you play. It’s about the improvements you made in your game, your progress.”