Maple Leafs Defenseman Morgan Rielly Disrespected Yet Again, This Time in the Virtual World

Morgan Rielly is a defenseman who has become a whipping boy of sorts when it comes to the Toronto Maple Leafs fanbase.

Overall, last season was a poor showing for the veteran, as he went from 58 points in 72 games to 41 points in 82 games. It was a bad showing, and the fans were quick to demand trades.

In the end, the Leafs kept Rielly on the roster, and going into this season, fans are hoping to see some kind of growth or improvement. If the defenseman declines any faster, then the calls for a trade will only grow louder.

To make matters worse, Rielly is constantly being disrespected in various rankings. For instance, Rielly was ranked 22nd out of 32 top defensemen in the entire NHL.

Meanwhile, his ranking on NHL 26 isn't going to be that much better. We say that because the game recently revealed the top 10 left-handed defensemen and the 10 right-handed defensemen.

Rielly did not make the left-handed list. Gustav Forsling came in at number 10 with an 89 overall, which means Rielly is going to come in somewhere below that.

Ultimately, the Toronto Maple Leafs need Rielly as he is their only puck-moving defenseman right now. Of course, this is not a good thing, but it is the reality of the situation.

If Rielly can get back on track this season, then the Leafs will be in a much better spot. After all, without Mitch Marner, you need to find some offense somewhere.

The team's blue line was stagnant last season when it came to generating offense, and Rielly will be expected to pick things up.

Hopefully, this recent snub from NHL 26 is enough to get Rielly back to where he was just a couple of seasons ago.