"As one of the main backbone pieces of the team, Morgan Rielly had been the face of the franchise for the Leafs defense for much of the past decade with the club. Having been through it all during the team's rise to prominence that led to nine consecutive playoff appearances, Rielly sure did his part by tallying 93 goals, 450 assists for 543 points in 925 career games with the Maple Leafs."
"However, his play has gradually tailed off in recent years, with his defensive play becoming more suspect while his offensive flare has fizzled along with his puck-moving speed and ability. That would have been fine if Rielly was a bottom-pairing player, but as supposedly the team's top-pairing defenseman, much more is expected out of the veteran on a nightly basis. As a result, the Maple Leafs may need a new leader"
Earlier in January the Toronto Maple Leafs won consistently after the Christmas break and climbed back into a playoff spot with all areas of the game performing well. A sudden recent slump sent the team spiralling down the NHL standings and created a difficult climb to return to contention. A team once viewed as likely trade-deadline buyers now faces a strong possibility of becoming sellers. Becoming sellers would make surprising players available as the club looks to retool or semi-rebuild the roster for the future. Morgan Rielly is identified as a potential shock trade candidate.
Read at Editor In Leaf
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