Following the shocker of a trade that saw pending unrestricted free agent Mikko Rantanen get traded to the Carolina Hurricanes, could the same happen to Mitch Marner? Morgan Rielly is going through a difficult stretch with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he's working through it. The defenseman is on pace for 36 points by the end of this year, his lowest total in a season since 2020-21. His 23 points are the most for a defenseman on the Maple Leafs defensemen, though he ranks 40th among NHL defenders. Rielly openly discussed his struggles this season after Wednesday's 3-1 loss at home to the Minnesota Wild, admitting, "It's a battle right now to try to compete and play the best I can." The 30-year-old registered an assist in Toronto's 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, but that was overshadowed by being a minus-one on the scoresheet. His plus-minus is now down to minus-19, the fourth-lowest total among defensemen in the league. "It's a stat that, it is what it is," Rielly said after practice on Monday in Calgary. "You just got to play your game and focus on that, push through, and just focus on what you can control." Rielly is still trying to find a balance between when to jump in the rush—to contribute on the scoresheet—and when to remain back to focus on the defensive side of the puck. (Toronto also needs to balance whom he plays with. Rielly has skated on a pair with almost every defenseman on the team, including Chris Tanev, Jake McCabe, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Philippe Myers, who he was back skating with on Monday.) "I think there's balance in everything," the defenseman added. "We all want to contribute offensively and not give up anything defensively. And that in itself is a balance. Sometimes it just comes easily without thinking about it and there's other times where you're really conscious about it and you're maybe overthinking it. And there you've just got to find your game." Since his first full season in the NHL, Rielly has been one of the most productive defensemen in the league. His 85 goals and 410 assists ranks him ninth in points among defenders since 2013. He is, however, a minus-34 through 843 career NHL games with the Maple Leafs. "Well, I think anybody that looks at that stuff, whether it's your plus-minus or your points, like, you know, you're supposed to be a point producer. It wears on you, for sure, as a player," Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said on Monday. "You've just got to be mentally tough and keep fighting through it, which he is. My conversations with him have been good because he's looking at everything. He's watching his shifts. He feels good. He's training. He's looking after himself. "So he's doing all the right things, and he's going to come out of it. He's got to keep battling, like everybody. He's got to keep battling through adversity and through things, and he's got to keep battling." What does Rielly think of the plus-minus stat during his recent stretch of play? "Right now?" He laughed. "Mixed reviews." The defenseman, though, has been in the league for a long time. He understands what it takes to get through a difficult stretch like this. He's not worrying about production or looking at his plus-minus. Rielly is working hard at trying to turn his game around, which will help him regain his confidence with and without the puck. Berube wants to see the defenseman to return to what he does best: moving pucks. "He's a good puck mover, sees the ice well, and activating as a D-man. And then in the offensive zone, again, activating when he can, and be just more aggressive like on the offensive side of things," Berube said. "I think he's been battling defensively, and I know his plus-minus doesn't show up, but a lot of those are with a goalie out. But to me, he's battling harder in his own zone, playing our D-zone pretty well. The other side of things is, he hasn't obviously produced enough points, like he has in the past, and, we're going to need that from him." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjExNjM5NDEwNTc4NDM0MDI0/googlenews.svg] Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwytvfCA?ceid=CA:en&oc=3] to never miss a story.
