Maple Leafs' Robidas on why he signed in Toronto: 'Rielly and Gardiner'
After several seasons with the Dallas Stars and a brief stint with the Anaheim Ducks in 2013-14, blueliner Stephan Robidas assessed his options on the free-agent market, and keyed in on Toronto for one reason.
Well, two actually: “Morgan Rielly and Jake Gardiner.”
“When we talked about my role and what the Leafs are looking for, they’d like me to help the younger defensemen," Robidas told Michael Traikos of the National Post.
"To me that’s a great opportunity. I’ve watched them play. I know exactly how good they are and everything. Having a chance to play with one of the two and try to help those guys is going to be good for me.”
A mentor-type role is becoming old hat for Robidas, after helping the likes of Matt Niskanen and Brenden Dillon during his time in Dallas.
He also benefited from that type of relationship when he first broke into the NHL with the Montreal Canadiens. "When I first started in Montreal, they paired me up with Eric Weinrich," said Robidas.
"He had a calming presence that helped me. If I had a bad shift, he was always there for me and always tried to help me. I think it made me feel comfortable.”
In terms of what he sees in Gardiner and Rielly and his role therewith, Robidas added this:
I think it’s the poise they play with. If I’m speaking for myself, I was never a high draft pick or the type of player that they are. It’s not easy to play defence in the NHL. To do it at a young age, it always amazes me how younger guys can come in and play and play well with that kind of confidence. To me, it’s not easy. Some people overlook it. It takes time to become comfortable.
I think 85% of the game is mental. If you don’t have the confidence, there’s stuff that you won’t do that you normally would if you aren’t thinking and have the confidence to do it. The best players in the world play with confidence. They know that they can make those plays. When guys are struggling, confidence goes down and you start playing safer.
Toronto gave Gardiner a five-year contract extension Tuesday, and it's believed that both he and Rielly will play bigger roles on the Maple Leafs' blue line in 2014-15.
As they continue to develop as NHL defenseman, the pair will have a veteran of 885 NHL of games firmly in their corner for the next three seasons.