The latest NHL trade rumors suggest Ryan O’Reilly will be traded by the Buffalo Sabres this offseason. Which teams have expressed interest in him?
The Buffalo Sabres are looking to change their culture. This will most likely happen through the departure of some roster players. A popular candidate is center Ryan O’Reilly, who has seen his name tossed around in NHL trade rumors recently.
Of course, the Sabres could choose to keep him. After all, O’Reilly has proven he can handle tough defensive zone starts. With Jack Eichel and Casey Mittelstadt still developing as centers, his abilities as a two-way center are still valuable to the team.
However, should the Sabres elect to trade O’Reilly, they will not have a shortage of suitors. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic gave some insight into which teams could be interested in the center (subscription required). Let’s take a look at the most intriguing teams mentioned.
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues have been searching for a number one center for a while now. Whether or not O’Reilly is a true number one center is up for debate. But what’s undeniable is O’Reilly would be an upgrade over most of their current options.
His 61 points were more than every Blues center last season except for Brayden Schenn, who had 70 points. O’Reilly would slot in as Paul Stastny’s replacement. However, his contract carries a significant cap hit of $7.5 million and lasts for the next five years. The Blues would likely have to move some salary out to make it work.
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers‘ interest in O’Reilly is a bit fascinating. After moving Claude Giroux to left wing, they have an opening at the second-line center spot. Sean Couturier is a Selke Trophy finalist. Adding another great two-way center could really help the Flyers and perhaps make life a bit easier for Couturier.
Philadelphia is armed with two-first round picks and one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL. However, with extensions needed to be given to Ivan Provorov and Travis Konecny after next season, the Sabres might have to retain some salary to facilitate a trade.
Montreal Canadiens
It should come as no surprise that the Montreal Canadiens are interested in O’Reilly. The fit is obvious – the Habs need a center and he’s one of the better ones in the league. Montreal has the cap space to fit O’Reilly in long-term and the assets to acquire him.
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Another thing to note – the Canadiens have a very wealthy ownership group. O’Reilly’s signing bonus due on July 1 might scare some teams away. The Canadiens are a team who could feasibly afford to pay it. So if Buffalo wants to trade O’Reilly at the draft, Montreal is a very logical destination.
For updated NHL trade rumors, be sure to check out our Rumors page.