Morgan Rielly

[havanablast21]

I don’t think people expected Karlsson to be Karlsson after his 1^st yr (I still don’t think people expect Karlsson to be Karlsson). They did expect him to be fast, agile, swift, have great vision, above good shot, and have an offensive mindset (just not to the level he has achieved). Rielly is the same, he’s a great skater, good vision (for a 1^st yr), accurate shot (not quite the fastest yet), and he is always thinking counter attack. I think coming into the league Karlsson is a good comparison, but you gotta say Karlsson Light, or “little Karlsson”.


DISSCLAIMER BECAUSE I KNOW I’LL BE RIPPED APART. Rielly has the same skills that people see in Karlsson, just not to the same degree right now.

I don't think anyone is saying that Rielly is the next coming of Karlsson...you never really know. But just to possess some of the same skill/characteristics of Karlsson ... or even drawing comparisons to Letang a/o Keith, definitely warrants attention and keeper consideration NOW...before his true potential is acheived and those late to the party are left pining for him ( as is the case for many past and still pining Karlson non-owners).

[2014olympicgold]

I don't think anyone is saying that Rielly is the next coming of Karlsson...you never really know. But just to possess some of the same skill/characteristics of Karlsson ... or even drawing comparisons to Letang a/o Keith, definitely warrants attention and keeper consideration NOW...before his true potential is acheived and those late to the party are left pining for him ( as is the case for many past and still pining Karlson non-owners).

I really feel like I have to put that disclaimer because if I compare a young guy to an all-star (mac to Crosby, Fowler to Keith) that have the same skill sets but not the same talent a lot of people don’t get the two are different.

[havanablast21]

I really feel like I have to put that disclaimer because if I compare a young guy to an all-star (mac to Crosby, Fowler to Keith) that have the same skill sets but not the same talent a lot of people don’t get the two are different.

Agreed. Keeps Big EV from snarling... Or atleast snarling AND spitting venom!

[Big Ev]

He doesn't even have the same skillset as Karlsson IMO

[Kofax]

He doesn't even have the same skillset as Karlsson IMO

You're right. He's better defensively.

But in all honestly, you can't really compare anyone to Karlsson right now. Letang is even a stretch. Have high hopes, but let's wait until we see it before annointing the kid, which is what I think people are doing here. Cautious optimism.

[Rocky71]

I would definitely stash him. Great skater with excellent hockey sense... fun to watch. He's got some traffic ahead of him, especially on the PP next season. Phaneuf (if he's still around) Franson, and Gardiner will all be vying for first wave minutes.

[deantime419]

He's also well over 200lbs which doesn't hurt.
A less-sexy comparison would be Brian Campbell (with more upside).

[havanablast21]

Direct Head To Head Comparision...

Morgan Rielly (who's apparently getting close to exploding and making himself hard to buy as soon as THIS season)
vs
John Carlson (who had a coming out year so to speak last season, but is facing just as much competition for PP time now with the new faces in camp...PLUS...he's very well regarded as a strong 2 way D...suggesting to me that he may take a bit of a hit in my scoring).

All this Rielly comparision to Karlsson(Sorry Ev), Letang, Keith, Campbell vs Carlson...who I rarely hear compared to ANYONE but decent in his own right.

Who wins THIS cage match?

(yes...vested interest... i've been forced to try and decide between the two... no intention on hijacking this thread)

[fungchen3]

I have been high on Rielly since day 1 and snagged him in my big league a couple years ago. I have high hopes for him soon becoming a 50-60 point defenseman but he is a different beast than Karlsson and most comparable to Duncan Keith with slightly higher offensive instincts. He'll be a gem - might even break 60 in the perfect season down the line. Don't expect another Karlsson though, you'll be disappointed.