Most fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs would agree that Morgan Rielly is an important piece of the young core in Toronto. The 5th overall pick in 2012 has already played four seasons and 312 regular season games in the NHL. Because of this, we often forget that he is still only 23 years old. He plays a key role on the team’s blue line and plays extremely tough minutes for a young defenceman.
Rielly has taken some undue criticism over the past year for not taking the next step in his development. Fans and media are overlooking how good he has really played for the team, especially given his age and role.