Toronto Maple Leafs: Morgan Rielly Climbs Up the All-Time Lists
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly is entering his 11th NHL season.
He is the longest-tenured current member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Rielly has played 719 regular season games, and all have been with the Leafs, who drafted him 5th overall in the first round of the 2012 NHL draft.
The Toronto Maple Leafs signed Rielly to an eight-year contract extension in 2021. This season is the second year of that contract, meaning Rielly has seven more seasons with the Leafs. He could become the top point-producing defenseman in franchise history.
Since the 2017-18 season, Rielly has registered 40 or more points four times. His most successful season came in 2018-19 when he recorded 20 goals and 52 assists for 72 points in 82 games. Rielly’s come close to that total once with 68 points in 82 games during the 2021-22 season.
(Stats from hockey-reference.com)
He currently sits 5th place on the all-time points list for Leafs defensemen.
Rielly has 414 points, which has him tied with former Leafs defenseman Ian Turnbull. Turnbull is in 4th place because he reached 414 points in fewer games than Rielly. With his first point of the season, Rielly will sit alone in 4th place.
Morgan Rielly’s Next Toronto Maple Leafs Milestone
Once Rielly passes Ian Turnbull, Tim Horton is the next player on the all-time list for Rielly to catch.
Horton sits in 3rd place with 458 points. Rielly will need a minimum of 45 points this season to pass Horton.
He will then need another productive season in 2024-25 to try and catch 2nd place Tomas Kaberle (520 Points). Sitting in 1st place is Leafs legend Borje Salming with 768 points.
The all-time points list is not the only list fans need to be watching. Rielly could jump from 8th to 4th place in goals by a Leafs defenseman with 11 goals this season. He has only scored ten or more goals twice in his career, so it could take him two seasons to reach 4th all-time in goals by a Leafs defenseman. Jim McKenny (7th) and Al Iafrate (6th) have 81 points and will be Rielly’s first targets.
Another milestone Rielly should reach this season will be passing Tim Horton on the all-time assists list. Rielly is 4th all-time with 341 assists and needs nine assists to pass Horton (349 assists) to move into 3rd all-time.
So, if everything goes Rielly’s way this season and he can register at least 11 goals and reach 45 points, he’ll move up the Leafs all-time defensemen lists for goals, assists, and points.
Even Without Any Big Hits, the 2018 Was a Success for the Leafs. dark. Next
Rielly’s climb will begin on October 11th when the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Montreal Canadiens in their first game of the 2023-24 season.