Morgan Rielly left off latest NHL Network rankings; former Maple Leaf and NHL analyst on board with decision

NHL Network recently released the list of their Top 20 Defensemen in the NHL and surprisingly the Maple Leafs blue-liner is noticeably absent from the list.

While obviously names like Cale Makar and Victor Hedman stick out but it's crazy to think that Rielly is less of a defender than Mo Seider or an aging Drew Doughty. Sure, both players are talented in their own rights but for Rielly, a consistent defender year in and year out should rank above them.

Call it a lack of playoff success or not, but Rielly can't be blamed for having to shoulder the load for the past several years. This year seems to be the first time he is able to breathe on the back end. He's put up 20 goals in his career before and a resurgence on the offensive end looks to be in order.

While he hasn't put the puck in the net as much as he used to, Rielly has still contributed with over 50 assists in two of the last three seasons. He is an elite point producer as a defender and plays good enough defense to be considered in the upper tiers in the league. If Toronto is able to make a deep playoff run and Rielly can contribute both offensively and provide shutdown defense when it matters most, he could find himself in the Top 20 for sure come next season.

Source: HockeyDB
Morgan Rielly Statistics