Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe believes top defenseman Morgan Rielly has developed into a more well-rounded player this season.
The veteran rearguard has seen an uptick in penalty-kill assignments, and Keefe thinks Rielly is starting to thrive defensively.
"Confident. Reliable on both sides of the puck. I think he's got more to offer us here offensively, and it's on us to as a team to get him engaged more, get more happening on the rush where he can get involved. But he's defended really well," Keefe said, according to Sportsnet's Luke Fox.
Keefe continued, "The defensive ability that he's added here on both five-on-five and the penalty kill has really come a long way - and he's really embraced that. We're just seeing a more complete version of Morgan."
Rielly, viewed as an offense-first blue-liner for much of his career, has kept his production up this season. The 27-year-old has 26 points in 30 games, good for fourth among NHL defensemen. He's notched 22 points in 22 contests since signing a monster eight-year, $60-million contract extension in October.
"He's an elite defenseman in the league, and I think elite defensemen in the league should be contributing to your team in all facets. That's a really important thing," Keefe said.
Toronto drafted Rielly fifth overall in 2012. He's recorded 331 points in 602 games.
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