The Leafs got a key bit of business out of the way inking Morgan Rielly to a contract extension Given where the club's blue line is right now, and where it's headed, doubling down on No. 44's leadership seems like a wise choice. (By sachdevasonny)
was all smiles as he stepped onto the sheet at the Ford Performance Centre for practice Friday, as those off the ice got word the longest-tenured Maple Leaf had inked an eight-year, $60-million extension with the club.
“I think Morgan continues to grow as a player,” said Dubas Friday, noting that Rielly’s desire to stay and willingness to sign on for less than market value was key in the deal getting done. “His role continues to expand, he continues to improve defensively. He’s usually one of the top offensive defenceman in the league in terms of production, but defensively, specifically in the last number of years, he’s continued to grow and evolve — now he’s taking on more on the penalty kill.
While the term of the deal is evidence enough of the faith the organization has in Rielly and his capacity to continue evolving as the club’s blue-line leader, the agreement is just as significant a sign of Rielly’s belief in the Maple Leafs, of the club’s potential to take the next step, even after a few years of heartbreak and scrutiny.
“I just think everything that he brings inside the room every single day, but most importantly what he brings on the ice, we just thought it would’ve been difficult to really replace. And we’re hopeful that Rasmus can continue to develop and they can complement one another in those roles,” Dubas said. “Because we can’t just have one guy doing that, we need multiple players to play in that style.
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