Editor In Leaf
Fansided

The Top-Five All-Time Best Toronto Maple Leafs Defensemen

By Spencer Teixeira

2004 Season: Player Brian Leetch of the Toronto Maple Leafs. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images)
2004 Season: Player Brian Leetch of the Toronto Maple Leafs. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 6
Next
BOSTON, MA – APRIL 19: Morgan Rielly #44 of the Toronto Maple Leafs shoots against the Boston Bruins in Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the TD Garden on April 19, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – APRIL 19: Morgan Rielly #44 of the Toronto Maple Leafs shoots against the Boston Bruins in Game Five of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the TD Garden on April 19, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) /

No. 5 – Morgan Reilly

Kicking off the list is Morgan Rielly.

Drafted 5th overall in 2012, Rielly has developed and blossomed as a top defender in the NHL since his debut in 2013. Throughout his 6 year tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Rielly has posted 243 points in 470 games (0.52 PTS/GP), which places him 22nd overall in points (by defensemen) since 2012-13 (Hockey Reference ).

These past two seasons, Rielly has emerged as the Leafs true #1 defenseman, scoring an incredible 20 goals and 72 points last year (Hockey Reference ).

Also, during his six years in the NHL, the Toronto Maple Leafs have finished in the bottom 10 league standings 3 times (NHL.com ). Thus, Rielly has been the biggest factor on the Leafs backend during some of the best and worst times in franchise history, which earns him the #5 spot on this list.

This past season, despite having Ron Hainsey dragging him down, Rielly nearly earned his first Norris Trophy and was among the best in the league.

The season before, he was one of only three players (along with Hedman and Doughty) to play against the top percentile of competition, while scoring 50 points and posting positive possession stats.

Home/All-Time Lists