Offence won’t be an issue, but if there’s a secret to playing defence with Darren Raddysh, Morgan Rielly is so far unaware of it.
asserted
Rielly → ’ → it
“We’ll find out,” Rielly said Monday at Maple Leafs training camp.
asserted
Rielly → find → camp
“We want to work well together.
asserted
We → want → ?
Obviously, I think we were both hoping to play with each other, and I think there’s an opportunity there for us to be great.
asserted
us → think → other
We’re going to try everything we can to execute on that.
asserted
we → go → that
“So, if you think of anything, let me know.”
asserted
me → think → anything
It’s an honest question and the biggest one to pop out Monday when coach Jim Hiller paired his two most potent offensive blueliners together.
asserted
Hiller → ’ → blueliners
Neither is particularly known for their play inside their own blue line.
asserted
Neither → know → line
“We think they can be a good pair,” said Hiller.
asserted
Hiller → think → ?
“We’ll try to spot them a little more in the offensive zone if we can and give them more minutes with some of our top six forwards.
asserted
we → try → forwards
Not that they can’t get defensive-zone minutes and defend the other team’s top lines, but we think we can get them with our top six and give us some advantage.
asserted
we → get → advantage
Part of the trick to keeping the puck out of the net — especially with those two defending — will be forwards speeding back to help, an emphasis in the early part of training camp.
asserted
forwards → keep → camp
“That makes everybody’s job easier defensively, particularly the defenceman,” said Hiller.
asserted
Hiller → make → ?
Raddysh, with a salary cap hit of $8.5 million (U.S.) a year, has supplanted Rielly ($7.5 million) as the team’s top defenceman.
asserted
Raddysh → supplant → defenceman
He’ll get a lot of leeway.
asserted
He → get → leeway
“He’s a great player, has tons of great assets, and so hopefully we can work well together,” Rielly said.
asserted
Rielly → ’ → assets
“We’re both coming into the year very excited and anxious to get going and anxious to have a good start.”
asserted
We → come → start
More than any returning Maple Leaf, Rielly may have the most to prove.
uncertain
Rielly → return → most
He’s the team’s longest-serving player, drafted fifth overall in 2012 and emerging as a rookie in 2013-14.
asserted
He → ’ → 2013
He bleeds blue and white.
asserted
He → bleed → ?
But to many eyes, his game cratered the past couple of seasons — though to be fair, just about every Leaf veteran failed to live up to expectations last year.
asserted
veteran → cratere → expectations
“I understand the narrative,” Hiller said of Rielly.
asserted
Hiller → understand → Rielly
“People got down on Morgan.
asserted
People → get → Morgan
I’m giving him a clean slate and I’m glad he’s excited to play.
asserted
he → give → slate
I expect a great year.
asserted
I → expect → year
For years, he was looked upon favourably by everybody.
asserted
he → look → everybody
So sometimes things turn, and sometimes they swing a little too far.”
asserted
they → turn → ?
“After a year like last year, I think there were a lot of guys who maybe felt a little bit of uncertainty with the future, but that’s part of the business, and that’s part of what happens especially after a disappointing season,” said Rielly.
asserted
Rielly → think → season
“I’m extremely happy and grateful to be here now.
asserted
I → ’m → ?
This is the team that I love, that I would do anything for.”
asserted
I → love → anything
Rielly acknowledged that part of the equation includes playing better.
asserted
part → acknowledge → equation
“I look back on last year, and at the start I felt really good, and I felt like I came out and played really well, and I think when the team dipped, I dipped, and lots of other guys dipped,” said Rielly.
asserted
Rielly → look → guys
“I spent a long time trying to work on that, trying to get to the bottom of that, finding solutions on how to not let that happen again.
asserted
that → spend → solutions
“That’s part of the journey.
asserted
That → ’ → journey
That’s part of a career.
asserted
That → ’ → career
You’ve got to embrace those challenges, and everything that comes with being a part of this team and playing in this league.
asserted
that → get → league
We all feel grateful to be here now.”
asserted
We → feel → ?
Hiller said Rielly looks as if he’s rediscovered his love of the game.
asserted
he → say → game
“You play a lot of games in one place, it can become a bit of a routine, a bit of Groundhog Day,” said Hiller.
asserted
Hiller → play → Day
“You have to reignite the passion.
asserted
You → have → passion
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
