Rielly & Brodie Will Shoulder A Heavy Load Again For Maple Leafs

They don’t make a lot of noise about themselves, but Maple Leafs defensemen Morgan Rielly and T.J. Brodie were the most important parts of Toronto’s defense corps last season, and they will continue to be crucial components this coming year. Indeed, if either Rielly or Brodie experiences a fall-off in production, the Buds could be in significant trouble in 2022-23.

Rielly is coming into Year One of an eight-year, $60-million contract extension he signed in October. As the Leafs’ top blueliner, his $7.5 million salary is a relative bargain compared to some other elite D-men in the league. Reilly had a career-high 58 assists last season and led all Toronto skaters in average ice time at 23:44 per game. He rarely is in the conversation for a Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman, but he has improved his all-around game notably in the past couple of seasons, and he’s still only 28 years old. The best still should be to come for him.

Meanwhile, Brodie once again shined like a diamond in his second season as a Leaf. At a $5-million salary, he quietly went out, day after day, and played sound structural defensive hockey while chipping in a bit of offense. But Toronto doesn’t need him for offense. They need him to do exactly what he’s been doing: thriving in a puck possession regard, cutting off passing lanes, and stymying forechecks thanks to an incredibly high panic threshold.

You’ll rarely see Brodie on a highlight reel, but so long as pucks don’t enter the Leafs’ net more often than they go into their opponents’ net, Brodie is doing his primary job. He averaged 21:18 of ice time in 2021-22 and added 23 assists and 28 points. At age 32, he’s entering the late stage of his career, but Toronto is fortunate to have him under contract for the next two seasons, and GM Kyle Dubas will likely see if he can get Brodie to remain with the organization long-term, perhaps at a lesser salary, but if he stays this effective, he’ll still command a decent chunk of money.

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It’s important that young Leafs defenders Timothy Liljegren and Rasmus Sandin continue to develop into above-average D-men, so that there isn’t as much pressure on Rielly and Brodie (and fellow veteran Jake Muzzin, whose game has slipped of late as he’s dealt with health issues). But there’s no question Rielly and Brodie have to carry a big load this season. Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe inherently trusts them, and while Muzzin, fellow veteran Mark Giordano, Sandin, and Liljegren all will be given responsibility, Keefe is going to lean on Rielly and Brodie more than any other defender.

At a combined salary cap hit of $12.5 million, Brodie and Rielly are a better financial hit than Boston’s top two blueliners (Charlie Lindgren and Hampus Lindholm, who’ll make a combined $16 million this season), as well as those of the New York Rangers (Adam Fox and Jacob Trouba make a combined $17.5 million). But make no mistake – other Stanley Cup-contending teams have found ways to pay their top two defensemen less than the Leafs are paying Rielly and Brodie, and the two veterans are a serious investment by Leafs GM Kyle Dubas. It’s difficult to ask more of them, but it is reasonable to ask for the same from them.

Their games have shown no signs of regression. They’re still worthy of getting the nod from Keefe more often than night upon night. Leafs fans should be comfortable knowing they’re likely to get more of the same terrific performances from Rielly and Brodie once again this year.

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