"There are many who feel that the Toronto Maple Leafs will need to acquire an elite number one defenseman before they become a serous Stanley Cup contender.
It is that line of thinking that has the name of Drew Doughty appearing in articles and on talk radio shows in Toronto as he teases about becoming a free agent following the 2018-19.
Not everybody thinks that the Maple Leafs need to look outside the organization for that elite defender. Some think he's already on the roster and it is Morgan Rielly, including Rielly himself!
«I definitely feel like I'm closer than I was 12 months ago, but a huge part of it that I've come to realize is that it's mental,» Rielly recently told Bruce Arthur of the Toronto Star. «And that's where the biggest gains have been for myself. That being said, I have a long way to go to be anywhere close to being what I want to be, to help this team. I mean, everybody trains hard. Everybody lives right and eats right. It's a matter of being able to do it under pressure, and know what's going on during the game.»
«I mean, you have to believe in yourself, that you can do it. And that's the hardest part, I think.»
Do you think Morgan Rielly will eventually hit the same level as a Drew Doughty, Duncan Keith, Erik Karlsson and other Norris Trophy winners? "
