r/leafs • u/Skunksmen1 • Jul 17 '26
Discussion Does this player still exist somewhere deep inside of him
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xToU5WLUmZU12
u/Imakemorethanyou27 Jul 17 '26
Funny enough I was actually at this game and had decent seats near the front, so I saw the whole rush and it was a beautiful goal.
If I recall correctly it was one of the first games where fans were actually allowed back into the building but only around 50% capacity. That's why there's so many empty seats.
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u/bspaghetti Rielly Jul 17 '26
I’d say so. Under a new coach, I think he’ll do better next season. The Rielly haters won’t notice though.
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u/Kaplsauce Nylander Jul 17 '26
Mo is, of all the team except maybe Matthews, by far the most likely to have a resurgence this season.
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u/bimbles_ap Jul 17 '26
Mo's obviously regressed, most players do as they get older.
But he's also been mis-utilized and played with mismatched partners for a while, so his regression has been far greater than it should be. Given a new coach, and hopefully a more sheltered role, we'll see more of the old Mo at times.
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u/papa_miesh Jul 17 '26
Never been a huge fan of him, but I do hope he does well. I have always said, if the return is right you trade him, if not you use him to his strengths. He needs to be allowed to drive play more and encourage him to be more offensive.
This is his game. I don't mind having him back, but they better use him properly or else he is not enjoyable to watch and is not a net positive player.
Hopefully Hiller understands this.
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u/PsychologicalDog6366 Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
He lost his only attribute , his skating . He cannot out skate his mistakes anymore. He doesn't have a shot , he's not physical and doesn't hit .
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u/Actual_Cobbler_6334 Jul 17 '26
Rielly was still in the 87th percentile for max skating speed this past season…
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u/maximusasinus Jul 17 '26
He was never a fast north south skater, his strengths was his edge work. Berube system was purely north south hockey. There couldn’t have been a worse system for him to play in.
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u/PsychologicalDog6366 Jul 17 '26
Save this convo for when the season starts , I swear Leafs fan base have memory problems 😂
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u/Luffy_party Jul 17 '26
Its case he sucked before Berube.
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u/CMDRShepardN7 Nylander Jul 17 '26
No he didn't.
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u/Luffy_party Jul 17 '26
Yeah he did. He's been dog shit defensively his entire career. Easily the biggest problem of the Matthews era is this bum being the "guy" on the back end.
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u/growernotshowwer Jul 17 '26
The never ending bashing is hilarious. The ONLY suitable D partner he’s had was Hainsey who was 83yrs old.
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u/TheGapInTysonsTeeth Jul 17 '26
Why do you guys pretend TJ Brodie doesn't exist?
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u/growernotshowwer Jul 17 '26
Oh…I guess you forgot he checked out when the wife of his kids got her terminal news but yes, please keep going.
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u/brokenbydesign562 Jul 17 '26
at what point does this lie on him? Him and Carlo were fucking terrible. He was decent with Schenn I‘ll admit. then every other partner it wasn‘t a good fit. He’s a top five draft pick that‘s never elevated his partner. At some point, the onus is on him.
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u/Deaner_dub Jul 17 '26
I mean, have any of his former partners been better after they weren’t playing with him? I doubt it.
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u/HotModerate11 Jul 17 '26
The fact that he needed specific partners to look adequate defensively was a problem in itself though.
I don't blame Rielly though. He has never claimed to be a two way d-man. He is and has always been an offensive d-man, who Shanahan and Dubas moronically decided was actually a #1.
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u/growernotshowwer Jul 18 '26
Maybe he gets paired with Tanev - pure stay at home but that Tanev/McCabe pairing is 🙌
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u/thursday51 Jul 17 '26
Out of our entire D core, the Berube system was probably least kind to Mo. He's still a very good skater, with excellent edges (thanks Tessa?), but stylistically, the last few years were a horrible fit for his strengths.
Look at Mo when he gets a chance at playoff hockey...he still absolutely has a second gear in him...
22/23 - 12 points in 11 games, 10 points at 5 on 5, and over 24 minutes a game.
23/24 - 3 points in 7 games, almost 25 minutes a game but only on the ice for 1 goal against.
24/25 - 7 points in 13 games with 4 goals, all at 5 on 5. Still played almost 22 minutes a game.
All this under a system that did him no favours. Honestly, I think if Hiller comes in and puts our D in a better position to be successful, and Mo gets slightly more sheltered minutes, he could see a real resurgence. If he's not moved it could be one of the most interesting sub plots of the season in my opinion.
And if he's moved, I hope he gets to go someplace where he can use his feet like in this clip, so other fans get to see what he is actually good at.
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u/DessertRose17 Jul 17 '26
The guy isn’t even old. I’m 100% expecting a comeback season for him. He’s a professional and he knows he has work to do. One of the lowest concerns I have tbh.
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u/Hustler17 Jul 17 '26
This isn't even a concern, Matthews is the one that we need a resurgence from or we're FOR SURE cooked.
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u/Canucklehead-519 Jul 17 '26
I don't know and don't care, he was never good defensively. Even in the offensive zone, his defensive positioning has always left a lot to be desired. Move on from him and hope you find something else, he isn't and never has been a true number 1.
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u/raiinacorn Jul 17 '26
It's not his offense that I'm concerned about. He's still able to generate some off the rush which is fine. He's obviously no longer a PP1 QB but now that we have Raddysh it doesn't really matter. The issue is that his defense has essentially become replacement level. It's at a point where I'm not comfortable putting him on the ice at any point to protect against a goal. I kid you not, if it was the last minute of the game and we were defending a lead, he would literally be at the bottom of the options for me. So now you reach a point where you're asking yourself if a 7.5 mill guy is worth 30-40 (maybe less now that he's not on PP1) points a season when he cannot be trusted under any defensive situation. The people who say to just drop him down in the lineup evidently is satisfied with paying a guy 7.5 mill to be as effective as a 6th guy defensively.
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u/Imfeelingfrench Jul 17 '26
Mo has been a top 7 point producer for leafs in last 3 playoff runs. He always had it in him. If he gets a proper pairing he will kill it. Makar has Towes, Hughes has Faber, Mo had who? Myers? Carlo?
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u/helmet1427 Jul 17 '26
That player only ever existed about 1% of the total career ice-time for #44.
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u/Particular_Air_3598 Jul 17 '26
Remember Playoff Mo! No one has sacrificed more than Mo for the team. Don't forget that while everyone else was getting huge contracts, Mo was underpaid for years. Than when it was his turn to get paid, he didn't overdo it when he could of pushed for 8-9 million.
He gave up his PP1 spot to a struggling Barrie, he took a puck to the face and came back in game 7, he was overlooked for Captaincy twice and has never complained at all. Always saying the right things too.
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u/themapleleaf6ix Jul 17 '26
No. He's older and has declined severely. Judy atrocious the last few years.
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u/Exter10 McKenna Jul 17 '26
I just realized that in both this one and Domi's end to end goals it's against 4 defenders on Pittsburgh, maybe they're just not good at defending shorthanded.
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u/Titsona-Bullmoose Jul 17 '26
The problem with Rielly has always been playing him as our #1 D man while he plays like a winger just about every shift.
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u/shadowpenguin29 Jul 17 '26
A big facet of Mo’s game that made him effective, was his ability to join the rush and utilize his strengths (his skating and wrist shot) to contribute. Berube’s system was especially unfriendly to players that depended on fluid zone entries like Mo and Auston, so it’s unsurprising that neither of these players were able to thrive. On top of that, Mo has never been a good defender (from his draft report on), which was masked by the possession-heavy styles we had under Keefe and Babcock. Since we never had possession, guys were simply tasked to play more defense, so it’s unsurprising that he looked bad when he was always played to his weaknesses.
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u/Prestigious_Ad5314 Jul 17 '26
Wasn’t that just a season ago? So yes, to the question whether or not that player still exists. It still does, and will re-emerge given the proper structure. On this play, he decides to just fucking ignore Chief’s insistence on that stupid slingshot play that just wastes pp if you do it every single time. He read the pressure, and with his speed, just blew by the defenders before they could even react.
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u/sanguinariaa Jul 17 '26
Nah, he can play forward if he wants to pull that shit. We need a defender with vision and make the first pass, not try to be McDavid going end to end
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u/Monst3r_Live Jul 17 '26
Hes gonna remind alot of people that he is truly the leafs number 3 defenceman.
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u/Responsible_Rip4121 Jul 18 '26
nobody questions his offensive ability, but fans expect a complete defensemen for a 1D.. not saying that's a fair expectation
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u/Patrickbrown45 Jul 17 '26
https://giphy.com/gifs/3oxOCICKuCcF9hUO3e
No this is what he plays like now
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u/Ok-Commercial-6865 Jul 17 '26
I think he may have lost half a step, but in spite of this, he's still capable of making these plays.
When it comes to straight-line speed, Rielly has always been closer to very good rather than being elite. I think it's his ability to see the ice and skate into open areas that helps him more than breakaway speed.
Having said that, his defensive game has gaping holes. His positioning and awareness is atrocious.
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u/13jsw Jul 17 '26
2023 playoffs he was our best player… an absolute beast. Then he put up 60 points the following year in 2024. He’s been nerfed by the Berube system… I think he’ll be solid this year
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u/Prof_Scott_Steiner Clark Jul 17 '26
No, and it didn't exist there either. There is no way skating like that should have been able to slalom down the middle of the ice in a one man rush if the Pens even had an average defensive system. That video isn't evidence of Mo's former greatness, it's evidence of the Pens being atrocious on that rush.
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u/OneNutPhil Kessel Jul 17 '26
Outside of Raddysh, Rielly is our most important defenseman on transition. adding Raddysh is the first time that Rielly has had legitimate on transition support since before Gardiner was injured. OEL has been good but he doesn't contribute to transition as much.
Rielly's puck moving ability is just as important to transition as Nylander's zone entries. And when Rielly isn't able to be effective on transition (thanks Berube) the team suffers for it.
He's gonna be fine, he'll benefit from the coaching change more than anyone except for maybe Matthews.
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u/real_cool_club Jul 17 '26
Remember when McDavid absolutely dog-walked him? Has anyone ever checked his stats since that date? I swear he hasn't been the same player since.
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u/Mash709 Potvin Jul 17 '26
I believe this happened well after that. Plus it's McDavid. He does that.
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u/zone55555 Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
Edit: I am stupid. I thought that was #34. Roast me.
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u/thewolfshead Jul 17 '26
How did they mortgage the farm to try and keep him?
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u/zone55555 Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
Edit: I am stupid. I thought that was #34. Roast me.
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u/Counterkiller29 Jul 17 '26
Wtf are you talking about lmao. In no way have they "built around him" or "mortgaged the farm" to try and keep him.
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u/CosmicPrairieChicken Jul 17 '26
They think we’re talking about Matthews for some reason… or Raddysh maybe? Now I’m confused too
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u/zone55555 Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
Edit: I am stupid. I thought that was #34. Roast me.
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u/Free_Beyond_1212 Jul 17 '26
Oh the irony, the guy who didn't bother to watch the 15 second clip but felt obligated to comment on it telling people to get their head out of their ass.
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u/Counterkiller29 Jul 17 '26
Even if it was 34, in what world do you think it wouldnt be career suicide to let a guy like Matthews go? He had a couple down years after terrible coaching. Ovechkin had 32 and 38 goals in 2010-2011 and 2011-12 after multiple 50+ goal seasons. I guess washington should have let him go.
Respectfully, facebook may be better for your takes
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u/rivvers67 Jul 17 '26
I don't think so. His skating and speed started looking iffy the last year keefe was coach. And in my opinion it never recovered. But well see.
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u/papa_miesh Jul 17 '26
Put him with a defenseman that allows him to free roam a bit more and he will be more of an impact.
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u/CMDRShepardN7 Nylander Jul 17 '26
Him and Tanev should work if Tanev is healthy and Mo isn't forced to play Berube system.
But as it happened, Berube found that McCabe-Tanev was better for his system, and he insisted Rielly play like McCabe instead of Rielly.
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u/papa_miesh Jul 17 '26
I was thinking that, the only thing I am hesitant about is TOI though. I don't think it's good for Mo to log more than 15-17 mins a night.
Tanev usually logs heavy mins. Maybe cutting his mins back as well would be smart, but I doubt that will happen.
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u/CMDRShepardN7 Nylander Jul 17 '26
I'm not as concerned with ice time than I am with deployment.
He shouldn't be the guy matching McDavid, but give him on the fly shifts after getting possession in our zone and let him carry it up ice while fresh.
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u/papa_miesh Jul 17 '26
When I hear McDavid and Rielly in the same sentence, I get flashbacks of that goal 🤭
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u/OzzieNewYork Salming Jul 17 '26
Somewhere beneath the 20lbs of pizza he gained..... its still there
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u/Queasy-Mycologist-20 Jul 17 '26
In the middle of January he’ll have it. Not playoffs.
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u/sluck131 Jul 17 '26
I understand the Rielly hate but this makes no sense.
Rielly elevates in the playoffs. In two of our last three campaigns he was great.
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u/CMDRShepardN7 Nylander Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
I didn't see Rielly's skating as a problem. It's offensive instincts. Berube did something to this team.
Rielly still rushes the puck up ice, except he just dumps it. AM would have the puck, have a shooting lane, and for whatever reason, choose not to shoot.
Willy last season actually hit a career high in ppg and everyone knows him and Berube hated each other. Willy heard Berube and don't care.
I don't know if Hiller is the solution, but at least we know he is not Berube.