Ryan O’Reilly ticks every single box as next St. Louis Blues Captain

Ryan O’Reilly is perfect Captain material for the St. Louis Blues.

Per Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic, the St. Louis Blues will turn to Ryan O’Reilly as the 23rd Captain in franchise history after losing their leader during the offseason.

It was a tough start to Free Agency for the Blues who lost Captain Alex Pietrangelo to the open market, with the elite defenseman opting to sign a blockbuster seven-year, $61,600,000 contract with the Vegas Golden Knights.

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Not only did St. Louis lose one of the best all-round blueliners in the National Hockey League, but they also lost their face of the franchise and one of the most popular Blues in recent memory.

Yes, Torey Krug, who walked away from the Boston Bruins in order to sign a seven-year, $45,500,00 deal with the Blues, will help to fill some of the void left by Pietrangelo, but replacing the latter’s leadership was going to be a tough row to hoe.

And that’s why Ryan O’Reilly is the perfect choice as the next Captain of the St. Louis Blues.

He ticks every single box when it comes to what you want from a leader on and off the ice, and he’s already established himself as the heartbeat of this franchise just three years after that blockbuster trade with the Buffalo Sabres.

Acquired from the Sabres on July 1, 2018 for a loaded package that saw Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka, Tage Thompson, a 2019 First Round pick and a Second Round selection in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft head to Buffalo, O’Reilly has pretty much achieved everything there is to achieve with the Blues already.

He has recorded 138 points (40 G, 98 A) in 153 regular season games for St. Louis, in addition to 12 goals and 22 assists for 34 points in 35 postseason contests.

O’Reilly has also racked up two All-Star Appearances, a Selke Trophy and a Conn Smythe Trophy during his two seasons with the Blues, while he played a critical role in delivering the organization their first-ever Stanley Cup in franchise history in 2018-19.

He became the first player since “The Great One,” Wayne Gretzky, to score a goal in four straight games in the Stanley Cup Final, earning O’Reilly a coveted place in the rich annals of hockey history as well as the Playoff MVP.

Already established as an elite two-way forward who excels when playing a real 200-foot game, O’Reilly put up 23 points (8 G, 15 A) in 26 games during the Blues’ run to the cup, to go along with 21:00 of ATOI, a faceoff percentage of 50.1, 13 blocked shots, 11 hits and 16 Takeaways.

Furthermore, the 29-year-old just leads by example on the ice with his all-in approach to the game of hockey, and that was perhaps best epitomized in 2018-19 when he won the Selke Trophy after logging 20:46 of ATOI and recording a 56.9 faceoff win percentage, 36 blocked shots, 31 hits and 94 Takeaways, while still putting up a career-high in points with 77 (28 G, 49 A).

However, wearing the coveted “C” on your chest is more than just what you do on the ice, it is also about how you carry yourself off the ice both at the rink and in everyday life.

It is no secret that O’Reilly’s reputation speaks for itself when it comes to him being a model professional, with the gritty center’s offseason workout routines with his dad going viral.

It is also well known that O’Reilly goes out of his way to help take the Blues’ young guns under his wing, laying on practice drills with the likes of Zach Sanford, Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou long after everyone else has left in order to try and help to develop and nurture those prospects.

He is absolutely dedicated to his craft and at getting better every single day, while his commitment to winning is relentless.

All of those things mapped out above makes Ryan O’Reilly an ideal Captain, and you get the impression that it is pretty easy to follow him into the heat of battle and take his lead.

Also, another caveat at play here is the fact that the St. Louis Blues will be heading into uncharted territory this season after losing some key dynamics in their locker room.

Because, not only did the Blues lose Alex Pietrangelo, but well-respected veteran forward Alexander Steen recently retired, franchise icon Jay Bouwmeester is still recovering from a cardiac episode and goaltender Jake Allen was dealt to the Montreal Canadiens.

That is a lot of leadership, experience and respect to lose from one locker room in a matter of months, so St. Louis needs someone who can instantly demand respect and someone who also has the knowledge of what it takes to win and what it takes to lead.

Ryan O’Reilly ticks all of those boxes and many more and that’s why, should the elite center indeed be confirmed as the 23rd Captain in franchise history for the St. Louis Blues, it will be an absolute home run of a choice by the organization.