Monday Morning Skate: New Role, Same Old Holes

OPINION: There is a certain kind of optimism that permeates the Toronto Maple Leafs organization every September, a belief that a simple tweak in deployment can solve a fundamental flaw. The latest experiment, as Sportsnet first reported, involves shifting Morgan Rielly's role to accommodate the arrival of Darren Raddysh.

According to Sportsnet, Raddysh was signed to a big-money deal and is expected to take over the power-play quarterbacking duties, effectively relieving Rielly of the pressure associated with that specific responsibility. Head coach Jim Hiller is pairing the two to maximize their offensive skill sets, intending to deploy them with the top two lines to keep them in the attacking zone. On the surface, it looks like a recipe for success—especially after Rielly scored during a dominant shift in a pre-season game against the Ottawa Senators.

But let's look at the wreckage. Sportsnet reports that Rielly's game has tailed off significantly over the last two seasons. Last year was particularly grim: Rielly was on the ice for 92 goals against at even strength—the most in the Eastern Conference—while contributing only 36 points.

Rearranging the deck chairs by pairing Rielly with a high-IQ player like Raddysh is a fine gesture, but it doesn't address the physical decline. Sportsnet cites NHL EDGE data showing Rielly's skating speed has plummeted; while he exceeded 22 m.p.h. eight times in 2021-22, he did so only twice last season. He simply doesn't have the footspeed to play the game he once did, and as Sportsnet notes, he must now accept that he can no longer take the same risks.

There is a narrative that former coach Craig Berube's system hindered Rielly by emphasizing puck-dumping over rushing, which contributed to Rielly's lowest shot totals since his rookie year (141 last season and 126 the year before). While Hiller's approach may provide more offensive opportunities, the defensive liability remains.

With Chris Tanev and Jake McCabe offering little in the way of offense, and 35-year-old Oliver Ekman-Larsson facing the inevitable slowdown of age, the Leafs are desperate for Rielly to find the scoresheet. They are betting that less responsibility will lead to better results. However, when a player is responsible for the most goals against in the conference, a new partner is a bandage, not a cure. If the fundamental defensive collapse continues, it won't matter who is skating next to him.