Guru Tugginmypuddah
Well-known member
I'm not saying Rielly shouldn't be moved. I'm saying Petterssen shouldn't be a Leaf.
Armchair GM Thread 2025/26
- Thread starter herman
- Start date
I'm not saying Rielly shouldn't be moved. I'm saying Petterssen shouldn't be a Leaf.
Among the top 8 D in the Cup final, Rielly's speed is 3rd according to NHL Edge behind Hanifin & Miller and he played through some injury while putting up those numbers. He's high 80s to low 90s percentile in skating speed with his injuries.
There are not a lot of dmen available on the UFA market this summer. There will be even less when July 1 rolls around as teams try to lock up their UFAs or flip them for a pick to another team to sign them.
Leafs do not have a lot of assets to trade to improve the current roster. They don't have much coming from the prospect system.
Want to help Rielly's decision making? Migrate him to a more familiar system. He did not flourish in Berube's system. But he could flourish in a system closer to Keefe's. He was a top 10 dman point producer and all star in that type of system.
After his two seasons struggling with Berube, he's not going to return a lot on the trade market. With a barren UFA market, his cap space also isn't likely to return much.
A 28th place team is unlikely to repair itself to become a true Cup contender over the summer.
If they want to make the playoffs with Matthews next season, they have to consider stuff like this - to get more out of what they already have.
Because of the older age of their D, they probably should carry 8 dmen to give them the depth to help with the inevitable injuries. The UFA market can probably help them there.
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I'm super conflicted about what to do with Rielly. You trade him and the team needs to find 3 puck-moving defencemen instead of adding just 2 like I think they need to now. But there's no denying he's had two rough years that would seem to indicate a move is necessary. Is a coach all that's required to get him back to his 50-60 point days like he was right before Berube?
Rielly has been throwing grenades since he was a rookie and has been miscast for the entirety of his career. He's a 3/4/5 PP guy and could still be that today.
The Leafs coaching/management has been so atrocious over the last decade which is unacceptable since the budget is infinite.
The Leafs coaching/management has been so atrocious over the last decade which is unacceptable since the budget is infinite.
herman
Well-known member
I like Rielly the person, but I don't want him to suffer here either. Sometimes change is good.
That said, I think the Leafs could make him work here if they used him as sheltered weapon instead of trying to even out his weaknesses with a stay-at-home partner that can't skate or pass. Or maybe an assistant coach can unlock some kind of zen mindset and Rielly figures out a very optimal niche.
That said, I think the Leafs could make him work here if they used him as sheltered weapon instead of trying to even out his weaknesses with a stay-at-home partner that can't skate or pass. Or maybe an assistant coach can unlock some kind of zen mindset and Rielly figures out a very optimal niche.
One thing that has always irritated me: they never got Rielly a great partner. There always seemed to be something not top notch with whoever he was paired with.
I was reading about past World Championships. Rielly and Tanev were a top pairing at that tournament. So we get Tanev and they barely try them together ?? Tanev's defensive ability could compliment Rielly as it did in the World Championships.
I think McCabe is our best dman now.
With a new coach & system:
McCabe ______ [overpay for Raddysh (born in Toronto)? or Andersson (doubt he would sign with the Leafs)? or ?]
Rielly Tanev
OEL Carlo
If they can fill that open slot with a decent dman, that D is probably good enough to get them to the playoffs - though they would need some depth D including another puck mover on hand. (they might have to carry Villeneuve or risk losing him on waivers ..)
There is a good chance they cannot find a decent top-4 right handed puck mover as so few are available.
They have to trade a goalie to avoid losing one of them on waivers. Maybe they can get a puck mover that way if the UFA market can't fill it but it would be very unlikely to be a top-4 dman
If they want to make the playoffs, they need to bring in a coach who will tailor a system around the talent they have to work with - like Quinn did in '99.
dappleganger
Well-known member
Morgan Rielly for Dylan Larkin.
Guilt Trip
Well-known member
Nylander and Matthews asked for puckmovers in their exit interview.
Split McCabe & Tanev to support puck movers.
It is a 200 foot game.
herman
Well-known member
This is probably what got Treliving fired tout de suite
It got filed at 3:01 or whatever and that unnamed prospect was not one of the Canadiens’ big ticket prospects (not Michael Haaaaaygheeee).
Friedman confirms this Pagnotta report. He also noted that the current Leafs front office has no interest in revisiting this transactus-interruptus.
It got filed at 3:01 or whatever and that unnamed prospect was not one of the Canadiens’ big ticket prospects (not Michael Haaaaaygheeee).
Friedman confirms this Pagnotta report. He also noted that the current Leafs front office has no interest in revisiting this transactus-interruptus.
Frank E
Well-known member
That's been the narrative for 15 years, and I stopped thinking that about 5 years ago.
The Leafs have tried Rielly with like 20 different guys, and still nothing worked well enough...and like, what, 5 different coaches?
I think it's a Rielly problem, not his partner. Rielly has the tools, it's the decision making that confounds his d-partners/teammates/fans.
Zharovsky was ranked 17th in the Athletic's top drafted prospects list this past April, so he's probably better than most Leafs fan would think (I assume a lot of us would basically have never heard of him before, because I didn't really). Still, that plus two mid/late 1st round picks seems criminally low for Knies. Vibes were bad enough right after the trade deadline this year, if that deal actually went down the fan base would have gone nuclear. It's just so weird for Treliving to try to rush that through right at the end of the deadline.
It would be very Leaf-y for Zharovsky to become the next Kaprizov though now.
It would be very Leaf-y for Zharovsky to become the next Kaprizov though now.
I get it to some extent, but Knies is very young and has a lot of value being a power forward right now. Unless the Leafs actually are rebuilding (which they can't really BECAUSE of Treliving in the first place) there really isn't a need to trade Knies. It's especially bad considering how good and how long that contract is and then you're hoping whoever you get back turns into a player as good as Knies who has plenty of runway to become better still. You really do have to get a team's first best prospect I think, and a team's third best and a bag of beans just isn't good enough, especially considering what the Leafs have given up over the years for marginal players without term (or very little term).
Joe S.
Moderator
I just heard JD Bunkis say something hilarious:
"I wish we could hire Treliving just to fire him again for this trade"
herman
Well-known member
I wish another team would hire Treliving so the Leafs can make more trades with him, instead of by him.
herman
Well-known member
Zharovsky's good, but if the Leafs trade Knies, I'd really like it to be for a top-4 puck moving defenseman or a centre with top-6 upside in Knies age bracket, not a playmaking winger. The other team would really need to present a very silly offer though.
I'd be intrigued by a package centered around one of these:
I'd be intrigued by a package centered around one of these:
- Matty Beniers, Shane Wright
- Sam Rinzel, Artyom Levshunov
- Riley Heidt
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Guilt Trip
Well-known member
herman
Well-known member
T__T
That narrative continues for me:
These are Rielly's partners (most ice time with those partners in that season)
2016-17 Zaitsev R
2017-18 Hainsey L
2018-19 Hainsey L
2019-20 Ceci L
2020-21 Brodie L
2021-22 Brodie L
2022-23 Brodie L
2023-24 Brodie L
2024-25 OEL L
2025-26 Carlo R
Zaitsev and Carlo are the only righties in ten years
None of those guys are top 2 and some arguably are not top 4.
All but Carlo have the distinction of making the top 10 list for Total Goals Against in a season
The only time that happened with Rielly was when he was trying to break in Zaitsev
During those 9 years (don't have 2025-26) Rielly got some Norris votes and All Star votes but his partners didn't in any of those years except OEL in 2018 long before he was with Rielly.
None of those guys were great partners for Rielly. (OEL may have been the best but it was his off side, maybe Brodie had some ok years ...)
When Rielly did play 100+ mins with Tanev in 2024-25, their advanced stats were very good - better than McCabe-Tanev
As I said, Rielly-Tanev were a top pairing for Canada in the World Championships and did very well together.
It boggles me that they never tried it more.
McCabe can play with anyone and make them better.
Tanev would be the first decent righthanded dman Rielly got to play with in his career in Toronto
Shame on them that they couldn't do better than what they did.
Matthews got Marner or Nylander. Rielly got second tier or worse.
In the playoffs between 2016-17 and 2024-25, the Leafs +/- leader is Rielly. He usually stepped up his game for the playoffs.
I don't think Rielly got a very fair shake in terms of a quality partner. I'm not sure most of those guys would crack Vegas' top 6 dmen (OEL of last season might). A righthanded, stay-at-home dmen like Tanev would have been great. To me, what they did for Rielly is a disgrace. He never complained. He showed up and did the best he could with whatever they gave him to work with. Now, it is his turn I guess to get tarred and feathered.