Tag Archives: Morgan Rielly

Armchair GM, Beer League Hero, Edmonton Oilers, NHL

Edmonton Oilers Talk: Would You Make This Trade?

As I sit here on a depressingly rainy December day in Taipei City, bored out of my gourd, I’ve been trying to think of something to write about that could be quick, engaging, and thought-provoking and thus, I’ve come away from this little session with a trade proposal blog that will feature the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs.

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The Trade

The base of this trade is built around two players, Morgan Rielly (TOR) for Darnell Nurse (EDM).

Now, Personally, I think that Rielly is a much better player than Nurse in nearly every facet aside from face-smashing and intimidation. Nurse might be the scariest defenceman in the league right now in that regard. So, on that note, if a trade like this were to be consummated, Edmonton would need to add to the deal and we’ll get to that later on.

Why would Toronto want to make this trade?

  • Can’t ignore the Sault Ste. Marie connection.
  • GM Kyle Dubas has had some sort of epiphany recently as it pertains to his club’s lack of leadership and physicality. Nurse brings all of that.
  • Potential hometown discount on Nurse’s next deal plus long-term, he should be cheaper than Rielly. Something that Toronto really needs.
  • Rasmus Sandin is coming for Rielly’s job and should be ready sooner than later.

Why wouldn’t Toronto make this deal?

  • They’ve got a serious glut of left-handed defencemen in their system at the moment.
    • Apart from Rielly, those include TJ Brodie, Jake Muzzin, Travis Dermott, Rasmus Sandin, and newly signed Mikko Lehtonen.
  • They feel that Nurse’s grit factor is overrated in today’s NHL.
    • In a time when the league is getting smaller and more skilled, how long will a player like Darnell Nurse be effective? Plus, Morgan Rielly is no shrinking violet. He’s skilled and can play the game old school.
  • They might feel this trade would downgrade their defence. Darnell Nurse isn’t exactly the best possession driving blueliner in the league whereas Rielly is an outstanding playmaker.

Plainly put, do the Leafs want to get tougher to play against? Adding “Doc” Nurse will accomplish that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyjoKXzPoX8

Why would the Oilers want to make this trade?

  • They need a true top-pairing defenceman who can move the puck and is reliable and consistent.
    • This would move Oscar Klefbom (if healthy) to a more responsible 2nd-pairing deployment.
  • Offense from the blue line has been hard to come by.
    • Hence why the local media has had perma-boners since they signed Tyson Barrie.
  • They feel that paying Rielly more will take them farther as a club than Nurse.
  • Philip Broberg, Dmitri Samorukov, and Caleb Jones are nearly ready to take the next step in their careers and the Oilers will have to make room for them on the left side.
    • Samorukov is a fairly stern defender. Taking the body and making the opponents feel some pain every time they visit his ice is commonplace for him. He’s also close to earning a promotion to the NHL.

Why Edmonton wouldn’t make this deal?

  • Nurse is too important to the leadership core and stabilization of the locker room.
  • They’re willing to bring Broberg along slowly and prefer Nurse’s style of play to that or Rielly’s.
  • The cost of acquisition is too high seeing as they’d need to include another prospect or two to bring in the Maple Leafs no.1 defender.
  • Nurse’s intimidation factor is too good to let go of.
  • A rumor going around that Morgan Rielly’s ankles haven’t healed properly since Connor McDavid broke them last season.

I don’t know what the post-pandemic landscape is going to look like for the future of player contracts, but I can only assume that the numbers will come down. What does that mean for Rielly and Nurse? For me, the feeling I’ve had with Nurse is that he’s looking for $7M or more per year and that’s way too much in my opinion. Some pundits have said that Rielly could be looking for as much as $9M-a-year on his new deal and normally I’d say that’s outrageous given he’s just come off a 27pt year. But if he’s healthy, 60-70 points isn’t out of the question for him.

Any way you look at it, the money will be the key to a trade of this magnitude. Edmonton is going to have a lot of it (meaning cap space) soon and Toronto is not…

We know that the deal is based around these two players, so for the sake of conversation, what if the Oilers tack on Tyler Benson and a 2022 2nd round pick? Would that make for an even trade?

Let’s keep in mind, this is all for shits and giggles. I don’t truly believe that the Oilers or the Maple Leafs would make a trade like this. I’m simply offering up some water-cooler talk. So don’t take what you’ve read too seriously, in fact, why not play along and offer up your thoughts in the comments below?

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2019 NHL Draft: Bowen Byram vs. Morgan Rielly from @TPEHockey

Bowen Byram has made it clear that when it comes to defensemen at the 2019 draft nobody compares to him. He’s been top 5 in WHL scoring for defensemen and is second in scoring for his Vancouver Giants at over a point per game. Byram has been nothing less than a dominant force in the WHL, making the Giants a consistently dangerous squad. With a player that can control a game like Byram, it’s clear he won’t be sitting long at the 2019 draft. With many wondering what Byram could be in the NHL, we can look over to Toronto to see a player with a similar style and ceiling to Byram.

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Morgan Rielly has long been a staple of the Leafs blue line. He’s served as their number one defenseman but is more widely considered a high-end number two defensemen if he‘s on any other cup contending blue line. Rielly, in his draft year, put on quite the performance in the WHL, Byram’s current league. With the Moose Jaw Warriors, he was kept to only 18 games due to an ACL tear but scored 18 points. In that short time scouts got a good look at the dynamic Vancouver native. Rielly was selected 5th overall by Toronto as the third defenseman behind Ryan Murray and Griffin Reinhart.

Going into the draft in Vancouver we’d expect to see Byram be taken in a similar range. Some have him slid into the third spot behind Hughes and Kakko, but most have him slotted in around 4-6. Almost all agree Byram is this draft’s top defensemen. While he is in a similar range as Rielly we also expect him to have a similar ceiling. Some see him as a future number one defensemen on a cup contender, but most see him as a very good number two guy. It’s expected he will play a huge role in his team’s success. The other assumption is that he should be NHL ready in only a year or less. Some believe he’s got a shot at stepping into an NHL role immediately. With his size (6’1”) and physical maturity, he wouldn’t have a problem surviving the NHL game. Generally, Byram is a high ceiling and a higher floor player. Byram is not only a safe pick for any team but a pick with big potential. A true low risk, high reward player.

In terms of the on-ice game, Rielly and Byram share many similarities. Each play a high paced offensive game. They love to jump up in the rush or get down low in the offensive zone to open passing or shooting lanes. The two have a high focus on offense and contribute as much as any forward. They are great passers that can thread the needle or play keep away from defenders. Making slot passes is a strength of both and leads to a lot of goals for their respective teams.

Both are great playmakers, but Byram has real special goal scoring abilities. He often takes the puck to the slot or sets up lower in the offensive zone to score. He’s got a great shot which has allowed him to gain the WHL lead for most goals by a defenseman. His goal scoring has also proved to be more than clutch as he holds the record for most WHL OT goals at 6 this season.

The duo also possesses high-end speed, and especially Byram with his explosive stops and start. With both players, it immediately stands out how well each can skate with the puck. I’d consider both elite puck carriers with lateral movement and edges that are rarely combatted by defenders. It’s hard to get a handle on either of them as they dodge checks on the rush. Their skating and edgework also allow each to walk the blue line very well and avoid wingers as they put pressure on them at the line. Escaping pressure is nothing to either of these guys.

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Other shared aspects of the two’s games include top-of-their-class offensive instincts, great puck skills, elusive ability with the puck, and a role as a power play quarterback.

Defensively, I’d say the Byram has the upper hand. He plays a powerful defensive game with physical capabilities and high intensity. He shuts down lanes and his good with his stick. While his focus is on offensive play, he doesn’t get caught lacking on the defensive end.

Overall, Byram is widely seen as the top defensemen up for this year’s draft. He could slide into an NHL role next year. Eventually, he might be a high-end number two defensemen with probable number one upside. Any team drafting Byram should look forward to their own Morgan Rielly with the potential to be more.

Follow Max on Twitter (@TPEHockey) for more prospect news and analysis!

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