Morgan Rielly Responds Following Life or Death Ultimatum from Leafs GM Brad Treliving
Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly is coming off a difficult season with the team, and as it turns out, general manager Brad Treliving had a lot to say.
Last season was a difficult one for Morgan Rielly as he went from 58 points in 72 games the season prior to just 41 points in 82 games under head coach Craig Berube.
It was clear as day that Rielly was uncomfortable with the new system. He didn't look like himself, and sometimes, he appeared like a fish out of water on defense.
Eventually, Rielly got better as the season went on, but the stench of the first three-quarters of the year was hard to wash off. This subsequently led to reports during the offseason that the Leafs approached the defenseman about a trade.
At the time, it was made clear that Rielly wanted to stay in Toronto and that he would not be going anywhere anytime soon.
Morgan Rielly responds to Brad Treliving
Today, Leafs general manager Brad Treliving confirmed to the media that he had a deep conversation with Rielly at the end of last season, and the defenseman took it to heart.
He then went on to say that Rielly has worked extremely hard this offseason to get back to the level he was at before last season.
He's a big piece for us. Getting Morgan Rielly back to the level he's capable of will have a big impact on our team.
These comments suggest, and pretty well confirm, the notion that Brad Treliving hit Morgan Rielly with an ultimatum. Get better, or you're going to get traded.
At the end of the day, Rielly wants to be a Leaf, and as a result, he made the decision to get his stuff into gear so that he can be the best player possible.
With that in mind, it will be interesting to see whether or not Rielly can be the player that fans expect him to be. Or if he regresses further.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 17 | 183 ANSWERS Morgan Rielly Responds Following Life or Death Ultimatum from Leafs GM Brad Treliving Do you believe the Toronto Maple Leafs should trade Morgan Rielly? | ||
| YES | 93 | 50.8 % |
| NO | 90 | 49.2 % |
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