The Auston Matthews injury effectively ends his decade-long era with Morgan Rielly in Toronto
Photo credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Morgan Rielly was feet away when Radko Gudas kneed Auston Matthews and did nothing. Matthews isn't coming back this season. Neither is Rielly but for a very different reason.
When the Toronto Maple Leafs didn't do a thing about Radko Gudas' hit on Auston Matthews, it signalled that the team was not only lacking passion, but the general apathy of the team has extended to protecting their stars.
The most egregious offender was Morgan Rielly, as he was literally feet away and decided to stare at his captain instead of retaliating or at least getting in the face of Gudas.
That non-action is inexcusable from a 13-year veteran, and it's going to lead to his downfall.
Radko Gudas did what Brad Treliving couldn't do: End the 'Core Four'
Gudas may have accomplished something Brad Treliving was too scared to do - end the Core Four.
Matthews is out for the season and with an MCL tear there's no telling how that will affect him long-term. William Nylander couldn't give a darn, and bless John Tavares for being a trooper but at 35 his time is nearing an end especially as a 2C.
Mitch Marner's long gone, so it's time to tear things down and focus on the future of the team. Your blessing is that Nylander and Tavares as well as Matthew Knies are signed long-term, but Matthews is a big decision coming up in a couple years.
But no one needs out more than Morgan Rielly both for the team and his own personal sanity. It's hard to imagine that he is able to ignore every criticism said about him, and after a near decade and a half that starts to wear on your psyche.
Morgan Rielly's failure to respond to Matthews' injury confirms his time in Toronto is over
Though there is a double-edged sword. Rielly is a locker room leader and one of the vets, but on the ice he never did anything, and then tried to apologize after Matthews tore his knee up. Sorry isn't good enough and actions speak louder than words.
He's 31, making $7.5-million for the next four years, is declining in production and won't stick up for a guy he's played over 500 games with throughout his career. Yikes. That's not a red flag, that's a red blanket.
When the Maple Leafs stressed a new identity it was built upon passion, grit, and toughness. Where was that when Matthews went down? Or when Anthony Stolarz was run over? Not once, but twice.
While it is a bit harder to move a contract the size of Rielly, especially since teams don't want to add a declining player on a mammoth deal while also giving up pieces - Toronto needs to dip into that retention pool and take on 50%.
The Top-5 protection math ensures these two will never play again
Matthews is not coming back this season and depending on how his recovery and the offseason goes, he could be starting things a little later than he had hoped.
But with Toronto needing to lose, and going through a rebuild that means Rielly is one of, if not the first piece to go.
Rielly is likely headed to the Western Conference, as there are several teams including San Jose who have shown genuine interest. The Sharks will need defencemen for the next few years and can afford to keep him especially with retention.
Plus, Toronto is sending a player who will be 36 when his contract is done, and unless he finds his way back on a one-year deal as a depth guy, it's over.
The Maple Leafs are going to be good in a few years, heck, they could even be good as early as next year. But that's because they are going to be without Morgan Rielly leading their blueline.
The unfortunate thing is that their last game together ended in such a gruesome manner but that's par for the course when it comes to Toronto this season.
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Previously on Hockey Patrol
| POLL | ||
MARS 15|902 ANSWERS The Auston Matthews injury effectively ends his decade-long era with Morgan Rielly in Toronto Has Morgan Rielly played his last game with Auston Matthews | ||
| Yes | 726 | 80.5 % |
| No | 86 | 9.5 % |
| Not Sure | 90 | 10 % |
| List of polls | ||