Maple Leafs Need More Production From Morgan Rielly – The Hockey Writers Toronto Maple Leafs Latest News, Analysis & More

The Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t received much offence from the defence in the 2024-25 season, and the lack of production from Morgan Rielly has been concerningly noticeable. The defence corps of the Maple Leafs accounted for 99 shots without scoring a goal across 15 games in December. Rielly had 22 shots on target and four assists during that stretch. Toronto has a league-low seven goals from blueliners this campaign, and Rielly has four of them, but he hasn’t been producing points close to the rate that fans have grown accustomed to seeing over the years. 

Rielly’s Production Is Down From Previous Seasons

Rielly is currently on pace to generate eight goals and 37 points in 82 games this campaign. His points per 60 minutes and assists per 60 minutes are his lowest since the first few seasons of getting his feet wet in the professional ranks, and his shots per 60 minutes are the second worst of his career. 

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Outside of a 20-goal outlier in 2018-19, lighting the lamp hasn’t been a strong suit of the 30-year-old’s game at the NHL level. However, that has never hindered him from being a difference-maker on the scoresheet. From 2017-18 to 2023-24, Rielly ranked seventh among all defenders in scoring with 353 points, and his 298 assists ranked him fourth overall. He placed 11th with 125 power-play points during that span. 

What Are the Reasons Behind Rielly’s Struggles?

The Maple Leafs have been a middle-of-the-pack offensive team in 2024-25, ranking 15th in goals per game (3.08) and shots per game (28.7). The power play sits 18th in the league, clicking at a 21.1 percent success rate. Toronto has experimented with various combinations while on the man advantage, including five forwards and giving Oliver Ekman-Larsson some time on the top unit instead of Rielly. 

Rielly has contributed seven power-play points this season, consisting of one goal and six helpers. He doesn’t blast the puck from the point but usually gets his shot through to create tip-in or rebound opportunities for his teammates. However, he has posted only one primary helper and three rebounds on the power play in 2024-25, while his individual expected goals have plummeted from 2.41 last season to 1.07 this campaign. 

Rielly still hasn’t had much stability with defence partners. It’s been an ongoing issue for him, so it probably shouldn’t be used as an excuse for his lack of production, but it remains a problem. Chris Tanev was supposed to be the solution, but their previous chemistry took a backseat to create the shutdown duo of Tanev and Jake McCabe. The emergence of the Tanev-McCabe combination led to Rielly being paired with Ekman-Larsson, but that didn’t have staying power either.

Rielly has seen time alongside Jani Hakanpaa, Simon Benoit, Conor Timmins and most recently Philippe Myers. Surprisingly, Myers has provided some stability in the role, likely contributing to the announcement of a two-year contract extension with the Maple Leafs on Friday (Jan. 3). However, it’s believed general manager Brad Treliving will be in the market for defensive depth ahead of the March 7 trade deadline. Still, it would benefit the Maple Leafs more to acquire an impact defender or centre to play in the middle six rather than the stay-at-home rearguards the team has targeted in previous seasons. Whether it’s help for the defence or the forward group, Treliving should add talent capable of making a difference at both ends of the ice. 

Toronto hasn’t been as dynamic off the rush in 2024-25, focusing more on team defence under head coach Craig Berube. It’s possible that has led to some adjustments to Rielly’s game. However, he was better at identifying opportunities to activate and jump into the attack against the New York Islanders on Thursday (Jan. 2). It didn’t lead to points, but that is exactly how he needs to play to get back on track.  

What Comes Next for Rielly?

Toronto’s transition to more defensive hockey, the team’s lack of efficiency on the power play, and a revolving door of partners haven’t helped Rielly establish much of a footing offensively in 2024-25. However, he needs to be more of a factor in the attack because he’s the lifeblood of the blue line’s offence. In wins this season, he has three goals and 16 points in 24 games. In the team’s 13 regulation losses, he has one helper. 

The Maple Leafs do not have anyone else capable of contributing offence the way he can, and with Auston Matthews battling an uncertain timeline due to a lingering injury, the club needs contributions up and down the lineup. The third line has developed a rhythm, which has been tremendously helpful, and it is long past due that the defence corps chips in with more regularity. Jump-starting Rielly’s offence would be a great way to achieve that end.  

Hockey Analytics courtesy of Hockey Reference and Natural Stat Trick.