Ryan O'Reily is a Maple Leaf

[Brewin Flames]

Maple Leafs acquire Ryan O'Reilly from Blues in 3-team deal

The St. Louis Blues have traded captain Ryan O'Reilly to the Toronto Maple Leafs as part of a three-team deal that also includes the Minnesota Wild, the teams announced Friday night.

O'Reilly, a center, heads to Toronto along with forward Noel Acciari. In exchange, St. Louis receives prospect Mikhail Abramov, forward Adam Gaudette, the Leafs' 2023 first-round pick, the Ottawa Senators' 2023 third-round pick and Toronto's 2024 second-round pick.

The Wild send forward Josh Pillar, a 2019 fourth-round pick by Minnesota, to Toronto, and receive the Leafs' 2025 fourth-round pick in return. Pillar has 12 points in 12 games with the WHL's Saskatoon Blades.

O'Reilly, who will be a pending unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, carries a $7.5 million cap hit. St. Louis will retain 50% of O'Reilly's salary, while Minnesota will retain an additional 25%. The 32-year-old O'Reilly, who has 12 goals and 19 points in 40 games, returned to the lineup Feb. 11 after sustaining a broken foot Dec. 31 in a game against the Wild.

 

Adding O'Reilly gives the Maple Leafs one of the most prominent names ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Above all, this means they now have a two-way veteran who in 2019 won a Stanley Cup, the Conn Smythe Trophy and the Selke Trophy as the league's best offensive forward. His arrival further strengthens what the Leafs already have down the middle with Auston Matthews and John Tavares in what they expect will be a move that heightens the Stanley Cup aspirations for a franchise that has not won a title since 1967, and has not made it out of the first round of the playoffs since the 2003-04 season.

 

Getting Acciari in the deal gives the Leafs another middle-to-bottom six forward who can provide a bit of a scoring punch, as he has 10 goals and 18 points in 54 games. Acciari also gives the Leafs another proven two-way forward who, in addition to O'Reilly, can be used to help a Leafs penalty kill that ranks 14th in the NHL with a 80.6% success rate.

For the Blues, the decision to move on from O'Reilly had been anticipated after they traded veteran winger Vladimir Tarasenko on Feb. 9 to the New York Rangers. The Blues' attempt to reach one more postseason with pending UFAs such as O'Reilly and Tarasenko faced challenges. Lengthy winning and losing streaks were among the contributing factors for why they struggled to find consistency and fall further behind in the Western Conference playoff chase.

 

Going into Saturday, the Blues were eight points out of the final wild-card spot in the West. Meanwhile, the Leafs are second in the Atlantic Division but are 13 points adrift of the Boston Bruins, the team with the best record in NHL.

The Blues now own nine picks in this year's draft, with three of them coming in the first round alone.

 

Abramov, who was a fourth-round pick in 2019 by the Leafs, has yet to play in the NHL and has spent this season with their AHL affiliate, where he has 10 goals and 27 points in 57 games.

Gaudette, who has played more than 200 NHL games, has spent the entire season in the AHL, where he has scored 20 goals and 33 points in 39 games. Abramov will have one more season left on his current deal after this year, whereas Gaudette will be a pending restricted free agent this offseason.

Edited February 18, 2023 by Brewin Flames

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Toronto BETTER win it all now!

 

They just had two teams help them out to get two postseason caliber players, one of them, the Minnesota Wild, wins the “Bobo” Award for trying to get the cool kids to like them.

 

Only thing to look forward to, at least for someone like me, is if the Lightning can send Toronto to yet another 1st round exit…

[ruxpin]

I don't like this for Toronto.   They need a top 4 defenseman and possibly a goalie and they trade picks for a washed up 3rd line center and a bottom 6 winger.  

 

I'm sorry, I don't see this changing Toronto's perennial 1st round exit.  And flushing a first round pick in a deep first round-- a pick that will be somewhere between 17 and 22 -- is simply gross.

 

I bet someone in Tuscon loves this.

[ruxpin]

5 hours ago, Brewin Flames said:

Going into Saturday, the Blues were eight points out of the final wild-card spot in the West. Meanwhile, the Leafs are second in the Atlantic Division but are 13 points adrift of the Boston Bruins, the team with the best record in NHL.

 

Weird use of "adrift."  Someone went to the Mike Emrick school of English.

[yave1964]

I am not sure if O'Reilly is centering the second line with Matthews or Tavares moving to the wing if so it bulks up their top six. If he is gonna center the third line it's a nice depth move but not a needle mover . He is a cup champ, a monster in the dot and a Smythe winner. Nice get. 

       

 Acciari is IMHO exactly what the leafs need, their bottom six has been in need of a player who can hit. He plays any forward position plays a heavy game, is very responsible defensively, just a little fire hydrant and a sneaky good scorer.  IMHO he is more than a throw in, he scored 20 a few years ago and quietly has 10 goals this year on a dysfunctional blues club in spite of being way down the list for ice time. Great add.

[yave1964]

Something I haven't seen mentioned is the affect on the wild. They worked as the third team, eating 25 pct of O'Reilly salary and getting a Free Fourth rounder for doing so. This eats up most of their salary cap so takes them off the list for potential deadline buyers. I hate this for the wild who seem adrift right now. They may do a hockey trade, dumba for a forward but adding a true rental is now off the list. 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

1 hour ago, yave1964 said:

Something I haven't seen mentioned is the affect on the wild. They worked as the third team, eating 25 pct of O'Reilly salary and getting a Free Fourth rounder for doing so. This eats up most of their salary cap so takes them off the list for potential deadline buyers. I hate this for the wild who seem adrift right now. They may do a hockey trade, dumba for a forward but adding a true rental is now off the list. 

 

I had mentioned in the Wild deadline thread that I saw the idea being bandied about that the Wild may have involved themselves in order to ensure O'Reilly ended up going East and NOT to a Western Conference rival.
Dallas, Colorado, Calgary were teams that were rumored to perhaps be interested in ROR.

If Minnesota never really intended to make a deal at the deadline due to how the team is constructed, their salary cap woes at the moment, and/or deciding to fill roster spots with callups, then sticking their noses in to make sure the above mentioned teams didn't get O'Reilly (and getting the 4th rounder as a bonus) was worth it for them.

[yave1964]

47 minutes ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

 

I had mentioned in the Wild deadline thread that I saw the idea being bandied about that the Wild may have involved themselves in order to ensure O'Reilly ended up going East and NOT to a Western Conference rival.
Dallas, Colorado, Calgary were teams that were rumored to perhaps be interested in ROR.

If Minnesota never really intended to make a deal at the deadline due to how the team is constructed, their salary cap woes at the moment, and/or deciding to fill roster spots with callups, then sticking their noses in to make sure the above mentioned teams didn't get O'Reilly (and getting the 4th rounder as a bonus) was worth it for them.

I cannot spin this any way that is not the Wild throwing in the towel. Yes doing this prevents Dallas, Vegas, Colorado from getting O'Reilly but even without him all of the above are clearly better than the Wild, and if the Wilds move is to block superior teams from getting a solid 2c while using their cap space not allowing them to add a center or middle six winger, Colorado can still get toews, Dallas can still get a middle pair puck moving damn, Vegas can still go add and get Stone and Thompson back healthy. IMHO this plain and simple was the wild being satisfied with making the playoffs and losing in the first round and getting the 120th best player in the draft to help facilitate O'Reilly going east. I think the fans and players both should feel cheated. They may and likely will move dumba for a forward but IMHO that is shuffling deck chairs around on the titanic.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

2 minutes ago, yave1964 said:

I cannot spin this any way that is not the Wild throwing in the towel. Yes doing this prevents Dallas, Vegas, Colorado from getting O'Reilly but even without him all of the above are clearly better than the Wild, and if the Wilds move is to block superior teams from getting a solid 2c while using their cap space not allowing them to add a center or middle six winger, Colorado can still get toews, Dallas can still get a middle pair puck moving damn, Vegas can still go add and get Stone and Thompson back healthy. IMHO this plain and simple was the wild being satisfied with making the playoffs and losing in the first round and getting the 120th best player in the draft to help facilitate O'Reilly going east. I think the fans and players both should feel cheated. They may and likely will move dumba for a forward but IMHO that is shuffling deck chairs around on the titanic.

 

Well, yea, perhaps.
I never said I LIKED it for Minnesota.
Even putting all else aside, and even if there was some logic in there somewhere, helping the likes of St. Louis and Toronto just makes me puke....just a bit.  

But again, we will see what else, if anything, Guerin has up his sleeves.

[pilldoc]

So where will O'Reilly slot? On the third line alongside Pierre Engvall and Calle Jarnkrok? They could also move O'Reilly to the wing, although they will want to utilize O'Reilly's consistent over-50% faceoff win rate at some capacity. The Leafs as a team could really benefit from receiving defensive-zone faceoffs from a former Selke Trophy winner in an inevitable matchup with Tampa Bay.

 

If he drops to the 3rd line his fantasy value will take a significant hit. But if he's used as a winger in the top 6, or if Matthews or Tavares is moved to wing to allow O'Reilly into the top 6, his fantasy value increases.  

 

I guess O'Reilly will likely find himself on the second power play. He has averaged second-unit power-play minutes anyway in St. Louis so it should not be that big of a change for him .......

 

In Acciari, who leads the Blues with 168 Hits and is a top-10 league option in that category I guess he will bring some more toughness to the Leafs.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

3 minutes ago, pilldoc said:

So where will O'Reilly slot? On the third line alongside Pierre Engvall and Calle Jarnkrok? They could also move O'Reilly to the wing, although they will want to utilize O'Reilly's consistent over-50% faceoff win rate at some capacity. The Leafs as a team could really benefit from receiving defensive-zone faceoffs from a former Selke Trophy winner in an inevitable matchup with Tampa Bay.

 

If he drops to the 3rd line his fantasy value will take a significant hit. But if he's used as a winger in the top 6, or if Matthews or Tavares is moved to wing to allow O'Reilly into the top 6, his fantasy value increases.  

 

I guess O'Reilly will likely find himself on the second power play. He has averaged second-unit power-play minutes anyway in St. Louis so it should not be that big of a change for him .......

 

In Acciari, who leads the Blues with 168 Hits and is a top-10 league option in that category I guess he will bring some more toughness to the Leafs.

 

The Leaves® may find they  may need to slot O'Reilly into their top four defense pairs seeing as how they STILL think they don't need to actually get another defenseman.  

[pilldoc]

Daily Faceoff has this .....

 

[pilldoc]

5 minutes ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

 

The Leaves® may find they  may need to slot O'Reilly into their top four defense pairs seeing as how they STILL think they don't need to actually get another defenseman.  

 

Touche' .......That may be the Achilles Heal for the Leafs.

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

1 minute ago, pilldoc said:

Daily Faceoff has this .....

 

 

Poor O'Reilly.
Saddled with Johnny Pajamas...

But seriously, looking at this, unless O'Reilly turns into some sort of super wing who plays like a center, it looks like a bunch of pieces that don't quite fit right.

And I already love my Bolts....but I may erect a shrine in their honor (I don't have one of those yet, believe ir or not...no really, I don't  ), if they can remove the Leaves® in the first round AGAIN, proving that this really IS a 500 count puzzle that is missing a few pieces.  

[FD19372]

2 minutes ago, pilldoc said:

 

Touche' .......That may be the Achilles Heal for the Leafs.

Don't worry. The Flyers will trade them Provorov for a 3rd. That will help. 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Furthermore...
O'Reilly, Tavares, Marner on the same line.

WTF is gonna shoot the puck??
Those three are likely gonna pass the puck around more than a trio of stoneheads passing a blunt at a Hall and Oates concert!

Edited February 18, 2023 by TropicalFruitGirl26

[Brewin Flames]

5 hours ago, yave1964 said:

 

 

       

 Acciari is IMHO exactly what the leafs need, their bottom six has been in need of a player who can hit. He plays any forward position plays a heavy game, is very responsible defensively, just a little fire hydrant and a sneaky good scorer.  IMHO he is more than a throw in, he scored 20 a few years ago and quietly has 10 goals this year on a dysfunctional blues club in spite of being way down the list for ice time. Great add.

 

 

When he was a bruin, in his limited ice time, he was the sandpaper/grit type, goes to the net, gets the dirty goals and not afraid to go to the corner, did all the little things right.

[Brewin Flames]

St. Louis Blues net strong return in blockbuster Ryan O’Reilly trade

Mike McKenna(

Feb 18, 2023

 

_____

Holy smokes. Boom goes the dynamite. On Friday night, Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas swung for the fences by acquiring forwards (and pending free agents) Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari from the St. Louis Blues.

More players were involved. Mikhail Abramov and Adam Gaudette are headed to St. Louis, along with Toronto’s first-round draft pick in 2023, Ottawa’s third-round pick in 2023, and Toronto’s second-round pick in 2024.

 

There’s also an element of salary retention. St. Louis is keeping 50 percent of O’Reilly’s $7.5 million contract. And in exchange for Toronto’s fourth-round pick in 2025, the Minnesota Wild will retain an additional 25 percent of his deal and send forward prospect Josh Pillar to the Maple Leafs.

 

That means Toronto will only be on the hook for $1.875 million against the salary cap with O’Reilly. Noel Acciari adds another $1.25 million. That’s a grand total of $3.125 million in cap space that Toronto now has to fit under the NHL’s $82.5 million upper limit. The Maple Leafs will make it work thanks to Jake Muzzin’s injury.

 

 

 

 

It will only be possible to offer a final grade this trade when the Maple Leafs’ season ends. How far did they go? Did they win the Stanley Cup? Before the dust settles, though, it is fair to grade the deal’s expense and potential.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Receive:

C Ryan O’Reilly, 32 — $1.875M cap hit (Blues retain 50% and Wild retain 25% of $7.5 million cap hit), 2023 UFA

C, RW Noel Acciari, 31 — $1.25M cap hit, 2023 UFA

 

RW Josh Pillar, 21 — unsigned, 4th round, #127 overall pick in 2021 NHL Draft (Minnesota Wild)

 

Hold on a second while I wipe the sweat off my brow. I did not see Toronto as a potential destination for O’Reilly. The Maple Leafs were already loaded with talent up front. And now they add two more quality players, one of whom comes with a Conn Smythe-winning pedigree from the Blues’ 2019 Stanley Cup championship.

I’ve got to hand it to Dubas. This move took a lot of guts. The narrative surrounding the Maple Leafs has long been a need to add on defense. And maybe that still holds true. But Toronto now has arguably the strongest spine in the NHL. Imagine going up against lines centered by Auston Matthews, John Tavares, and O’Reilly, in that order.

 

And then chuck in a lunch pail player like Acciari for good measure. He can play center or slide over to the right side on the wing. Acciari kills penalties and is willing to put his body on the line for the good of the team. He was one of the Blues’ most consistent players this year.

 

At 32, O’Reilly is having a down year. He’s only produced 12 goals and seven assists in 40 games, well off his usual pace of just under a point per game. O’Reilly has also missed significant time with a lower body injury. But the former Blues captain looked good after returning to the St. Louis lineup, scoring twice and adding an assist in three games.

Are the Maple Leafs getting the best version of O’Reilly? That’s hard to say. His footspeed has never been great. But O’Reilly has largely been able to produce because of his smarts and competitiveness. He’s a very cerebral player that has a knack for making the big play. O’Reilly began the season as the No. 6 ranked Clutch Player as part of our Daily Faceoff Archetype Ranking series.

 

But what I really like about this move for the Maple Leafs is the versatility O’Reilly brings. He can kill penalties and take critical faceoffs in the defensive zone. O’Reilly is strong below the goal line. And he’s excellent in tight around the net — something of which Leafs’ power play can certainly make use.

 

O’Reilly will boost Toronto’s overall work ethic. And no doubt he’ll be excited to wear a blue and white sweater. O’Reilly grew up in Ontario a Leafs fan. But I think it would be wise to temper expectations when it comes to his offensive production. Prospective linemates Pierre Engvall and Calle Jarnkrok are capable NHL scorers, but on the Maple Leafs, they play a supporting role. O’Reilly will occupy that same airspace. I think his greatest value will likely come on special teams and by playing responsible, two-way hockey at even strength.

[Math]

There are two things I like about this trade on the Leafs persective: first, they got a player that has already won a Stanley Cup. I'm convinced this will help a lot when it comes to the mental aspect of the game, when thing will get close in the playoffs. Perry was a key contributor for the Stars in their unexpected bubble run in 2020 and when the Habs did the same one year later. Secondly, Acciari brings something that was lacking in the Leafs' team: grit and toughness.

 

(Bottom line, I also love the fact that the Blues are now an even weaker team)

[Brewin Flames]

Maple Leafs Make A Splash: The Maple Leafs decided to do their deadline shopping early as they acquired centers Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari from St. Louis in a three-team swap.   St. Louis, who retained 50% of O’Reilly’s $7.5MM AAV, receives Toronto’s 2023 first-round pick, Ottawa’s 2023 third-round pick, and Toronto’s 2024 second-round pick along with prospect Mikhail Abramov and veteran Adam Gaudette.  Minnesota retained an additional 25%, receiving a 2025 fourth-round pick for their troubles along with prospect Josh Pillar.  The swap certainly bolsters Toronto’s depth down the middle which is particularly important with the Maple Leafs lined up with Tampa Bay and Boston as their potential first two opponents.  It is, however, a bit of a high price tag when you consider that O’Reilly had just 19 points in 40 games prior to the swap, well below his norms.  Both O’Reilly and Acciari are set to become unrestricted free agents this summer but Toronto is certainly going all-in while St. Louis now has three first-round picks at their disposal as they look to rebuild.

[Holymakinaw]

On 2/18/2023 at 10:33 AM, ruxpin said:

and they trade picks for a washed up 3rd line center and a bottom 6 winger.  

 

LMAO.  Jesus Cripes, what a terrible take.  Keep it up.  It's amusing.

[ruxpin]

2 hours ago, Holymakinaw said:

 

LMAO.  Jesus Cripes, what a terrible take.  Keep it up.  It's amusing.

Yeah. I could have been wrong.

 

Wouldn't exactly be the first time.

[ruxpin]

You may be right

I may be crazy

But it just may be a lunatic you're looking for.

 

 

But I'm not a Leafs fan, so I got that going for me.

Edited February 23, 2023 by ruxpin

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

30 minutes ago, ruxpin said:

You may be right

I may be crazy

But it just may be a lunatic you're looking for.

 

 

But I'm not a Leafs fan, so I got that going for me.

 

Ok, Billyport Joel...calm down...  

[pilldoc]

Honesty …. Its such a lonely word…..

Edited February 23, 2023 by pilldoc