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Morgan Rielly Finally Given Odds to Win 2019 Norris Trophy, Trails Burns & Giordano

Chris Amberley

by Chris Amberley in NHL Hockey

Updated Apr 6, 2020 · 1:15 PM PDT

Morgan Reilly Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman
Leafs defenseman Morgan Reilly has 61 points in 64 games played this season. Photo by Michael Miller (Wiki Commons) [CC License].
  • The Norris Trophy is a three-horse race between Moran Rielly, Brent Burns and Mark Giordano
  • Rielly is having one of the best seasons by a defenseman in Leafs history, but Giordano is a more complete player
  • Who’s the best bet on the board?

The Toronto Maple Leafs are on pace to equal their best regular season in franchise history, and while most of the credit typically goes to their elite forwards, no player has been more valuable than defenseman Morgan Rielly.


Rielly is producing offensively like no Leafs blueliner since Hall of Famer Borje Salming, and is in a tightly contested race to win the Norris Trophy.

2019 Norris Trophy Odds

Player Team Odds to Win Norris Trophy
Brent Burns SJ +100
Mark Giordano CGY +200
Morgan Rielly TOR +250
Kris Letang PIT +800
John Carlson WAS +1200
Roman Josi NAS +3300

*Odds taken 3/1

He has the third-shortest Norris Trophy odds and a realistic shot of becoming just the third defenseman in the last 20 years to register an 80-point season.

What’s truly surprising is this is the first time Reilly has been given odds to win the award.

Rielly is Playing the Best Hockey of his Career

Rielly started the season on fire, recording 13 points in his first six games. His stellar play continued through November and December, and into January where he was named the midseason top defenseman by an NHL.com panel.

It took him just 53 games to set a new career high in points and the Leafs are 12-2-0 in games where he’s scored.

He ranks first in the NHL among defensemen in goals and game-winning goals, second in points, and third in assists.

As good as he’s been on offense, he’s been equally as impressive in his own end. His +28 rating ranks third among blueliners, and represents a big change after finishing the first five seasons of his career with a negative rating.

There’s no doubt he belongs in the Norris Trophy conversation, but he falls just a notch below Giordano and Burns.

Make Way for Mark Giordano

While Burns is having the better season offensively, Giordano is the more complete player, excelling at both ends of the ice.

He matches-up against the opposing teams top line every night, yet still finds a way to average almost a point a game (0.97).

He leads all defensemen with seven three-point games and is the biggest reason why the Flames have the Western Conference’s best goal differential. Calgary is +47 with him on the ice, compared to only +5 when he’s on  the bench.

His +31 rating is the second best among defensemen, and is significantly better than Burns, who plays most of his minutes against opposing teams second unit.

He logs 25 minutes a game, while maintaining a phenomenal 56.2% Corsi, and it won’t be long before he’s awarded his first Norris Trophy.

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