Morgan Rielly has somehow become one of the most underrated stars in the NHL. If you want proof, the highlights from Toronto's first series win in 18 years against the Tampa Bay Lightning will suffice. Whatever the Leafs needed, Morgan Rielly provided. Big goals? Check. Standing up for teammates? Check. Accidentally squashing Brayden Point like a bug? Check that box too. Playoff Mo is a different animal - one who deserves respect as a high-end defenseman in the NHL.
On Sunday, the NHL Network released their list of the top 20 defensemen in the NHL. Avs phenom Cale Makar topped the list. Also included were Josh Morrissey, Drew Doughty and Quinn Hughes. Noticeably absent from that list was Morgan Rielly. Clearly the folks at the NHL Network didn't watch the Leafs and Lightning series. Even without watching it, Rielly is the number one defenseman on the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team that has consistently been in or near the top 5 teams in the league over the past 5 years.
Now, it's true that Rielly didn't have a great regular season last year. But the fact is, he's a lot better than he is given credit for by both fans and media. The fact that Rielly has been such a consistent and dominant player when the games matter most should land him on that top 20 list without a doubt. I, for one, can't wait to watch him make the NHL Network look like fools this season.
