The T.J. Brodie effect is a big reason for the success of Morgan Rielly
As of today, the Toronto Maple Leafs have not played a game since they handed the top-heavy Edmonton Oilers their lunch, winning by a score of 5-1 on December 14th. This presents an issue when a large chunk of your free time is dedicated to one team.
Instead of arguing about fundamental flaws in Justin Holl (I defy you to say something nice about him this season) or talking about whether or not Jake Muzzin is losing a step, my favourite topic is currently; is Morgan Rielly Elite?
The answer is complicated, not because Rielly isn't a really good hockey player, but because until T.J. Brodie came along, the guy never had a decent partner. Some of you are saying; "man Jake Gardiner wasn't that bad." WRONG! But hey, maybe you like Jake, and while he certainly wasn't great, he wasn't the worst Rielly collaborator either.
Before I dig into this a couple of things. 1. Trigger warning, some of these names will bring up painful memories. 2. All NHL players are exceptional hockey players, up to and including Justin Holl. (Ok maybe not him.. I kid.. sort of).
3. I wrote this while wearing a T.J. Brodie jersey. I love the man that much.
To begin to appreciate Thomas James Brodie, you have to begin with his predecessors. In no particular order (excluding Gardiner), you have Tyson Barrie, Ron Hainsey, Nikita Zaitsev, Matt Hunwick, Roman Polak, and longtime beloved Leaf Martin Marincin. There are more I can list, (Connor Carrick, Stephane Robidas and Cody Franson) but let's not be petty.
Brodie doesn't rack up points, nor does he have a big clapper from the point. You probably don't want him quarterbacking your power play, either. What he is is an exceptional, low risk, low event defensive defenceman - and that, my good readers, is exactly what Morgan has always needed.
Morgan Rielly is largely a gifted forward, that some coach somewhere along the line burdened with a blue line slot. Rielly is at his best when he pinches in to create opportunities in the offensive zone, like your prototypical offensive defenseman. He does not excel at defending 2-on-1's coming the other way. Brodie does. He is ruthlessly boring in his game. And I, for one, treasure him for specifically that reason.
Sure, Matthews is incredible, and Nylander is a special breed as well. And how can you not love our captain, John Tavares - the peak of everything we enjoy as Canadian hockey fans? They are all easy to love. Hell, even Marner has his moments. But Brodie, the low event, stay at home, defensive defenceman is all I ever wanted.
The question of whether or not Rielly is an elite defenseman is not a simple one to answer. Yes and no. He may not be elite on his own, but with a partner like T.J. Brodie, Rielly and his counterpart can hang with the best top tandems in the league. Believe that.
