Morgan Rielly brushes off pressures of playing in Toronto: ''We're very lucky to play in this market''

To say that the Toronto media puts an intense level of pressure on the Maple Leafs is probably underselling it, but for Leafs defender Morgan Rielly, he wouldn't have it any other way.

Rielly arrived on the scene in Toronto back in 2013-14, one year after being drafted by the Leafs 5th-overall and has had the misfortune of enduring some very rough years in a Leafs sweater.

Now, almost a decade after being drafted, Rielly still calls Toronto home, and hopes to do so for the foreseeable future - despite the polarizing energy that seems to surround the team.

Rielly spoke candidly on Wednesday regarding how he manages to stay so even-keel, even with the spotlight constantly shining bring in Canada's hockey mecca.

"My opinion of [the attention] is that it's a little bit overblown," said Rielly from Ford Performance Centre on Wednesday.

"I feel like we're very lucky to play in this market, we have great fans and in terms of people coming up to you, I think that's a cool thing that I've gotten to experience and I don't think there's any side of it that can be negative."

Rielly is entering the final year of his current contract, and if his words suggest anything, it's that Rielly hopes that a deal can be reached to keep him in Toronto long-term.

"It's all I've ever known so I'm happy here. I love this city. This logo means a lot to me and I just try to enjoy work everyday, that's all - I'm no different than anybody else in that sense."

If the Leafs can find a way to both keep Morgan Rielly and do so at a reasonable cap hit, either at some point this season or next offseason, that has to be looked at as a huge win for the franchise, given what Rielly brings to the table both on and off the ice.

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