Toronto Maple Leafs: Rielly/Hainsey Among League’s Best Pairs

Many Toronto Maple Leafs fans were disappointed to learn  that Morgan Rielly and Ron Hainsey would be the first pairing this year.

Technically, the  Toronto  Maple Leafs have two top pairings splitting roughly equal minutes, competition and zone starts.  The play of Morgan Rielly so far, however, has at least earned them the title of Top Pairing.

Although the Toronto Maple Leafs are just seven games in, Rielly and Hainsey have easily been the Leafs best defensive pair. They’ve looked very comfortable playing together at both ends of the ice and haven’t looked too out of place during the Leafs many defensive blunders. They have a 58.04 CF% at even strength, which leads all Leafs blueline pairs.

Rielly scored his first goal of the season Wednesday night against the Devils and has four points in the Leafs last two games. He played arguably his best game of the season Tuesday in Washington.

Top In the League?

However, as well as the pair has performed, it was still surprising to see this tweet that indicates Rielly and Hainsey have been among the best pairs in the entire NHL at this point in the season.

Rielly and Hainsey come in fourth on the chart, which is ranked using CF%. It’s very reassuring to see a Leafs pair so high up on the list. The Leafs defensive pairs in recent memory have not been very impressive. It’s hard to remember the last time any Leafs defensemen would have made a list like that.

In another chart, this one using “Game Score,” which is a single number that weighs and combines every stat into one usable expression, Morgan Rielly is ranked ninth overall among all defenseman so far this year.  Ron Hainsey has been good, but it looks like Morgan Rielly has finally reached the point where you put him with guys to make them better, and not the other way around.  Considering the Leafs have never really given him a consistently good partner, it is an impressive skill for him to have developed.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, though. The Leafs have only played seven games, and there’s still a long season to go. Will Morgan Rielly seriously work his way into the Norris Trophy conversation?  It’s not likely he’s that good, but regardless, for a team who’s struggled to match their blue-line to the rest of their roster, the importance of having such a good pairing cannot be overstated.  But it’s definitely a good sign. It looks like the Toronto Maple Leafs have finally found their number one pair.

Next: Weekly Marlies and Prospet Upadates

We’ll see if they can keep it up.

Statistics from naturalstattrick.