3 Toronto Maple Leafs Players Who Could Alter the Course of the Playoffs
Morgan Rielly
No area on the Toronto Maple Leafs suffered more than their defense this season, largely due to the absence of Morgan Rielly.
Rielly was sidelined in early January after blocking a shot which resulted in a fractured foot, causing him to miss eight weeks of crucial hockey leading up to the playoffs.
After returning for what would turn out to be their final game of the regular season against the Tampa Bay Lightning, it was apparent that Rielly may have been rushed back as the Leafs were panicking to keep ahead of the Panthers in the Atlantic Division race.
He didn’t look entirely out of place, but when Morgan Rielly is at his best, he is able to put defenders on his heels with his speed and is a strong quarterback on the top power play unit. Rielly struggled this season coming off of a career high 20 goals and 72 points, where he recorded just 27 points throughout 2019-20.
Unlike Mikheyev and Campbell, Morgan Rielly has a much bigger role to fill as the Maple Leafs top defensemen.
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For the past three seasons, Rielly has been in the top three for playoff scoring on the team and if his slump from this season continues, the Toronto blue line could be in jeopardy once again.