Maple Leafs Fan Shines a Light on One Key Problem for the Organization

The Toronto Maple Leafs came out of the trade deadline with two pretty important pieces in Scott Laughton and Brandon Carlo, but the two key acquisitions did not pay immediate dividends for the team.

The Leafs went 1-3 in their first four games after the deadline before rattling off 3 consecutive wins and propelling themselves back to the top of the Atlantic Division.

While we shouldn't dwell too much on the fact that the Leafs have given up some valuable points in the standings this season that could still have them sitting several points ahead of Florida, instead of locked in a tie at 87 points apiece with 13 games remaining, it's certainly still an eye-opening observation.

One player in specific who has stood out for the Leafs this season has been newcomer Chris Tanev, who has amassed an impressive +30 plus/minus rating in his maiden voyage in Toronto.

Conversely, another veteran defenseman has had the unfortunate downfall of posting a -19 rating, despite playing weaker matchups all year. Of course, I am referring to Morgan Rielly.

The Maple Leafs have already awarded Rielly an 8-year extension, back in 2021, and there's a pretty big issue when it comes to his new deal. There's a full no-movement clause built into it through the first 6 seasons, with a modified no-trade clause kicking in for the final two years of the deal.

Rielly, for the most part, has had some glaring issues in his game, save for a couple of very highly productive seasons. The time has come, though, for the Leafs to recognize those highly-productive seasons, like his 20-goal, 72-point campaign in 2018-19, for what they are; outliers.

Rielly is not the game-changer that the team makes him out to be, and the fact that he is still being exposed even though he's not taking on the toughest assignments is certainly a cause for concern and something the Leafs should probably deal with this summer.