Morgan Rielly

The Leafs have countless talented, top-tier offensive players in addition to one of the best power plays in the league, so it should come as no surprise that the quarterback of that unit -- Rielly -- is one of the NHL's most effective fantasy defenders. Rielly's 68 points in 82 games a season ago tied him with Pittsburgh's Kris Letang and Vancouver's Quinn Hughes for sixth in defensemen scoring. Rielly has posted 20-plus power-play points three of the past five years, while his 92 hits a season ago were his most since the 2014-15 campaign, his second in the league. Rielly will once again project as a low-end No. 1 fantasy rearguard this coming fall.

Rielly is the unquestioned power-play quarterback for one of the NHL's most talented teams and that alone gives him all sorts of fantasy value. He is coming off a solid if not spectacular season which saw him post 5 goals and 35 points (12 with the man advantage) in 55 games. One minor concern is that Rielly is shooting the puck less than ever. After posting a career-high 223 shots on goal in 2018-19, he has gone on to fire 224 shots on goal over the next two seasons combined, a stretch of 102 games. Rielly is entering the last year of a six-year, team-friendly deal which pays him just $5 million a season. That number could nearly double next summer if he has a strong season. Rielly could finish as a top-10 fantasy defenseman if things break correctly.

Rielly was limited to 47 games during the shortened 2019-20 campaign due to a fractured foot he suffered in January, but he was still a productive player when healthy, finishing the year with three goals, 27 assists, seven power-play points and 123 shots on goal while averaging a whopping 24:12 of ice time per contest. With Tyson Barrie no longer in the picture, Rielly should once again take on the role of the Maple Leafs' primary source of offense from the blue line in 2020-21, particularly since he's expected to be paired with the defensively-sound T.J. Brodie on Toronto's top pairing. An eight-goal, 50-plus point pace with significant power-play production and healthy shot and block totals should be the expectation for Rielly heading into this year's fantasy drafts, making him a top-10 option at his position in most formats.

Rielly is an elite, point-producing defender. Full stop. Last season, he was the third-highest scoring defender in the NHL behind only Brent Burns and Mark Giordano. His 72 points made him a top-50 scorer overall, and since 2017, Rielly is seventh in scoring from the blue line in points per 82 games (64). He's an excellent skater and jumps into the play so often that he's almost like a fourth forward at even strength. He's also great on the power play. Despite last year's hype, Rielly's game isn't Norris-worthy yet -- opposing forwards still gain the zone with possession far too many times when he's on the ice. But that doesn't count in fantasy. So, we repeat -- Rielly is an elite point-producing defender. That's fantasy gold.

Rielly broke the 50-point barrier for the first time last season and erased any doubt that he is a true top-pairing defender. Almost half (25) of his 52 points came on the power play. Plus, those 52 points were 16 more than his previous best. Rielly's skating, smarts and vision are the perfect fit for a Mike Babcock team and now he'll be firing passes to yet another superstar. Playing with John Tavares, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner could deliver him 60 points this season. Only seven defensemen broke that barrier in 2017-18 and their last names are Carlson, Burns, Klingberg, Gostisbehere, Hedman, Karlsson and Doughty. Don't sleep on Rielly.

Is Rielly a great-skating but otherwise average top-four defender who struggles against the league's best? Or is he the elite defender many believed him to be on draft day back in 2012? We think he's somewhere in between. Rielly has struggled to put up offense in his four seasons in the NHL, and last year saw him drop back to 27 points — the same tally he put up as a rookie. However, there's a “but” and it's a big one: Rielly has been the Leafs' No. 1 defender, carrying the massive responsibility to shut down the likes of Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin and Brad Marchand. It's little wonder his offense was down. But this season, the team has added strong veterans in Patrick Marleau and Ron Hainsey, and it's the latter who might end up being the catalyst for real growth from Rielly. Hainsey is a grizzled veteran who can play the right side in the team's top four. Rielly will consistently skate with either Hainsey or Nikita Zaitsev, and that stability will allow Rielly to use his speed and vision to help drive the transition. The only caveat is that the Leafs have loads of options on the power play, so Rielly's ice time there will be limited. That will keep him down the list of otherwise similarly productive fantasy defenders. Still, a career high in points awaits.

Rielly is a 22-year-old stud defender on the rise. He led the Leafs in ice time in 2015-16 and was the team's top scorer from the blue line (nine goals, 27 assists) despite seeing almost no ice time with the man advantage. Rielly's advanced metrics are outstanding – he is already a solid shot suppressor and generator. And he accomplished those while dragging around dead wood like Matt Hunwick and others the Leafs iced last season. Rielly's development will grow in leaps and bounds as the Leafs improve the rest of their roster. His best attributes are his wheels and his smarts, and they'll make him a perennial All-Star in short order. Expect another jump in points in 2016-17, perhaps to the low 40s. But then it's up, up, UP for Rielly – he'll be a 50-plus-point guy in just a couple years.

Rielly was one of precious few bright spots last season for the Buds. Not only did his role grow in his sophomore season, but he also tallied more even-strength points and improved his possession numbers over his rookie year. And he did it while spending a lot of his time on ice with the Leafs’ defensively challenged first line. Mike Babcock’s arrival in the Big Smoke means Rielly will finally have the kind of defensive tutelage that will take his overall game to the next level. And that means his first 40-point season may well upon us. Dynasty leaguers should invest now – his future is now, and he'll only get better. And better. And … well, you get it. Go get him.

The training wheels are off -- the Leafs expect this kid to haul a heavy load this season, and he's more than up to the challenge. He has the best skillset on the Leafs' blue line, and his acceleration is as sweet as a Porsche. Rielly makes lots of high-percentage plays and he can recover and get back in the play when he doesn't. The Leafs will turn him loose as the quarterback on their second power-play unit. His even-strength ice time will be better insulated by the presence of two new veteran stay-at-home types, Stephane Robidas and Roman Polak. This season should be a nice stepping-stone to a high-octane future. Expect a decent jump in his output from last year, with the possibility of finishing among the league's top-30 scorers from the blue line. That sort of production would make him a must-own in standard formats and an even more valuable chip in dynasty formats.

Rielly is a superb skater and an elite offensive defender who controlled the ice and tallied nearly a point-per-game in the Western Hockey League last year. But the Leafs are caught in a quandary with him -- he's too good for junior, but not old enough to continue his development in the AHL. So the Leafs will be forced to make a hard decision come training camp -- keep him and risk him being overwhelmed in the hottest hockey spotlight in the NHL or return him to junior where he has nothing left to prove (or learn). He's an elite keeper who could some day net 60 points. But 19-year-old defenders rarely excel in the NHL. Single-year owners should wisely leave him undrafted and snag him off the wire if he takes off at any point. Keeper leaguers? You know what to do.

Rielly might have been the 2012 draft’s top offensive defender had it not been for a blown ACL that limited him to just 18 games this past season. But, those 18 games showcased his elite skating, vision and skill – he scored at a point-per-game pace. Rielly has some serious work to do in his own zone, but that can be forgiven in a future fantasy superstar. Yep, you read that right. Pick him if you're in a keeper league and need a future Duncan Keith-Brian Leetch type. Hey, there's even a chance Rielly might crack the Buds' lineup right out of camp. However, he'll be far better served by heading back to junior and dominating in the WHL and at the World Junior tourney.