Why rejuvenated Morgan Rielly is giving Maple Leafs value

Morgan Rielly is standing near a practice rink’s end boards as he talks about his rejuvenating summer of uncertainty.

Thwack! … Thwack! … Thwack!

Loud, errant shots from a few of the defenceman’s Toronto Maple Leafs teammates, still working on one-timers, keep smashing the Plexiglas and interrupting his stories with winces.

“Jeez. Hit the net!” Rielly finally barks, flashing his signature wry grin.

Noise notwithstanding, you find the defenceman in a good place.

And Rielly’s game has found a better one.

Despite losing power-play quarterback duties to Darren Raddysh, despite an injury bug nipping the defence corps early, and despite getting served his greatest share of D-zone starts (40.7 per cent) in five years and seeing his lowest ice time (19:31) since his 2013-14 rookie campaign, Rielly has quietly improved in all areas.

Heck, only three defencemen have amassed as many even-strength assists as Rielly’s 10: early Norris candidates Evan Bouchard, Quinn Hughes, and Adam Fox.

“You change, and you mature, and you grow over time with all these experiences and wins and losses,” the longest-tenured Maple Leaf tells you. “But I still think I’m the same guy. Just a little older.”

The last vestige of a contender Brian Burke tried to build, the 32-year-old Vancouver native is in Year 14 of repping the city that plays hockey at 4 p.m. Pacific.

Rielly entered Toronto’s season of turnover circled as a potential whipping boy. And while the 8-7-2 Leafs are still seeking consistency, Rielly has located some.

He has piled up eight points and posted a plus-6 over Toronto’s past seven games. He’s on pace for 60 points, a plateau he hasn’t reached since two coaches ago.

“So, I knew Morgan years ago. He was a skater, liked to shoot. Now we’re seeing him really move the puck well. He hasn’t scored yet, but he’s got lots of primary assists,” head coach Jim Hiller says. “He’s been a good offensive player and solid defensively, so he’s right on the money.

And, suddenly, fine value at $7.5 million — a salary the Maple Leafs once tried shedding from the books.

GM John Chayka explored the idea of trading Rielly over the summer, and the player says he was “prepared for anything” to happen.

Playing through the uncertainty helped.

“I just did my best to stay focused on the people around me. And worlds was good for that. You’re trying to win a championship and then come home. And I was in a really good place, just enjoying time with my family,” he says.

“And for me, I feel so fortunate to play in this league and to be a member of the team, and so to get all that time during the off-season to train, get your body ready, spend time with your family, that was where I focused my energy. And I had an amazing summer.”

Rielly had previously admitted that turning down an invite to represent Team Canada at a third world championships was one of his biggest regrets.

So, when a couple of familiar faces managing the ’26 national squad, Brad Treliving and Jason Spezza, asked the veteran to go in May, it was a “no-brainer.”

Rielly talks excitedly about the chance to play on the same team as Sidney Crosby for the first time, as well as fellow Vancouverites Fraser Minten and Macklin Celebrini.

“Just a normal guy, but he does the unordinary on the ice,” Rielly says of the squad’s captain. “I completely missed (the 20-year-old Celebrini) just because of the age difference. So, it’s cool to see guys from our neck of the woods.”

Rielly’s father, Andy, accompanied him on his early world championship adventures. But this time he was joined by his own family, wife Tessa Virtue and their now-two-year-old son McCormick. The three met up with John Tavares’s “crew” after the tournament and spent an extra week vacationing in Europe.

(Is Rielly pushing a mini stick into his Mini-Me’s hands? “No. My wife and I went to great lengths to not do that and try to avoid that, and it just seems that's what he gravitates towards. Even though we try to try to swap it out for a golf club or a lacrosse stick or something, he's going for the mini stick.”)

May’s experience injected a dose much-needed joy after a dismal April.

“It’s unique. You play against each other all year round, and then you go over there and play with guys that you maybe played with the U-18 teams or world juniors. You reconnect, and that's part of the fun. That's part of what makes hockey special and makes playing for Team Canada special,” Rielly reflects. “If you're healthy and you have the opportunity to go play for your country, I think that's a beautiful thing.”

Rielly, too, credits the youngest Leafs, Gavin McKenna and Easton Cowan, for giving him a contagious boost of energy and excitement as he rounds the league for a 14th tour.

“You get to kind of experience it through their eyes. (McKenna’s) first time on a road trip, his first time playing against a guy like MacKinnon, or whatever it is. Like, you get to talk to him and hear what that's like, and almost relive it a little bit,” says Rielly, teammates with five first-overall picks in the span of five months.

“You just look at our guys — John, Auston, and Gavin — they’re all different. But the common thread is the joy that hockey brings them, how much they love the game, and how much they love working on it,” Rielly says.

“And not to go on about it, but that's the cool part about going over (to worlds), understanding what makes those guys tick, learning from them, and just being teammates.”

Oliver Ekman-Larsson, 35, has won a Cup and shared rooms with hundreds of teammates over his 17 years in the show. He says Rielly is “up there” among the best teammates he’s ever played with, a professional who goes about his business regardless of outside criticism.

“He’s sneaky funny. He got some good stuff going on,” Ekman-Larsson perks up. “He’s one of the best. I really enjoy playing with him, enjoy being around him. He’s one of those guys that takes you in as a new guy, shows you around, and wants you to be comfortable right away. That goes a long way.”

Ekman-Larsson believes Rielly’s fellow Leafs can almost take the veteran for granted because of his constant presence and welcoming personality.

“Being around him every day, you see what he’s doing, see how he prepares, see how he treats people around the rink, on the road, whatever,” Ekman-Larsson says.

“He’s one of the best.”

Note the defensive flaws, sure. Point out the missed back-door assignment or unclosed gap, fair. But what has never wavered is Rielly’s commitment to the boys, to the crest.

“He’s popular with his teammates. Just a really good guy. Thoughtful. Thinking of other people,” Hiller says. “Really helped the new players with the adjustment. He’s kind of a guy you can just go to. He’s kind of seen it all.”