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Maple Leafs choose to hold onto Morgan Rielly over world junior loan
It seems Brent Sutter can cross off Morgan Rielly on Team Canada’s projected blueline for the world junior championship.
A report from Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun states the Toronto Maple Leafs have no intention of loaning Rielly to Team Canada for a second crack at gold in the U20 tournament which takes place in Malmo, Sweden this year.
Instead, the Sun has learned that when the selection camp roster is announced on Monday, the 19-year-old defenceman, a first-round pick in 2012, will not be released by the Leafs to represent Canada for a second consecutive season.
"I'd say he's a big part of this group right here, right now and we don't see that changing at this point," Leafs vice-president of hockey operations Dave Poulin said on Friday. "That's the way we're looking at it."
Poulin wouldn't confirm that Rielly will not be made available to coach Brent Sutter and the Canadian team, but his comments are revealing.
Even though Rielly has been a healthy scratch here and there in his rookie season, the Leafs weren’t expected to loan him out. There is ultimately a case to suggest the 19-year-old has been one of their best blueliners this year. His speed and smooth-skating ability has been noticeably ahead of his back-end teammates with the exception of Jake Gardiner. In addition, he has not only thrived in the offensive zone, notching eight assists in 20 games, but he’s also held his own defensively because of his exceptional hockey sense, smooth breakout passes and ability to quickly the skate the puck down the ice.
It goes without saying that Team Canada would have loved for Rielly to return. He would have quarterbacked their power play and essentially been one of their most talented players. But fortunately for Canada, they do have other quality options to replace Rielly as offensive defencemen such as the Brandon Wheat Kings’ Ryan Pulock, Portland Winterhawks’ Derrick Pouliot, and Prince Albert Raiders’ Josh Morrissey.
With the Rielly return nixed, that leaves the Edmonton Oil Kings’ Griffin Reinhart as the only possible blueline returnee for Canada. But because Reinhart has three games left on the four-game suspension that he was handed last year at the world junior tourney, he’s not a lock to join his country in Sweden. Ultimately, that tough decision by Canada’s hockey brass will be made on Monday when they announce the camp invites. If they send an invite the New York Islanders prospect’s way, it will be safe to assume he’s made the team.
Canada could still receive an NHL loan to boost their back end as the Minnesota Wild’s Matt Dumba has an uncertain imminent future. The 19-year-old has played sparingly thus far in in his rookie season, only suiting up in 13 of their 26 games. It seems it would be best for Dumba and the Wild for him to join Canada because it would be better for his long-term development to play in the prestigious tourney over sitting in a press box.
Kelly Friesen is a Buzzing the Net columnist for Yahoo! Sports. Follow him on Twitter @KellyFriesen
