For Toronto Maple Leafs veteran defenceman Morgan Rielly, Saturday night's performance against the New York Islanders was one to forget.
Rielly, who at 31 years of age, in his 13th season with the Leafs, has had a rather inconsistent season. Things didn't get any better on Saturday when at UBS Arena, during a 4-3 OT loss against the New York Islanders, Rielly played 27:31, where he had one shot on goal, two hits, along with committing two giveaways and finishing with a plus/minus of -4.
Despite Rielly now being a -15 on the season, Leafs coach Craig Berube reaffirmed his confidence in the defenceman who also happens to be the most senior tenured player on the team.
Craig Berube still believes in Morgan Rielly
“Tonight was a tough one," Berube said. "I know that, but he's played some really good hockey for us this year. I'm not worried about it. I think he'll get back to the level he was at. I do believe that. That's kind of where I'm at with it."
The toughest moment for Rielly came 11:10 into the third period when Islanders star rookie defenceman Matthew Schaefer scored his first of two goals on the night when he showcased his poise and speed by maneuvering right around Rielly to score and making it a 2-2 game. Schaefer, who was chosen by the Islanders last June first overall, would strike again with the overtime winner to give New York the win.
Last season, Rielly's offensive production dropped from 58 points two years ago (7 goals, 51 assists) and a +7 to only 41 points (7 goals, 34 assists) to a -8.
This season, after 40 games, Rielly has five goals along with 26 points. However, a pessimist could point out that in the past 12 games, he has only produced four assists and over the past six games, Rielly has a plus/minus of -8.
Rielly, who has four years remaining on a no-movement contract, has most recently been mentioned as a defenceman the Edmonton Oilers are interested in. One of the many rumours had Rielly being involved in a trade with Edmonton for veteran forward Andrew Mangiapane.
Another most recent rumour had the Washington Capitals interested in a puck-moving defenceman who can log heavy minutes and quarterback the power-play such as Rielly.
Since being drafted in 2012, 5th overall by the Leafs, Rielly has been a loyal soldier who in 913 games, has produced 92 goals, 539 points along with 256 PIMs and a plus/minus of -38.
While he might be past his prime, Rielly, with his offensive skills, and ability to log heavy minutes, is still a great asset on the Leafs blue line.