Tim Murray is on the prowl. This time, its Colorado Avalanche center Ryan O’Reilly who is in Murray’s crosshairs.
I’ve been telling you for quite some time that Murray is a big fan of the big, skilled, 200 foot difference maker who is entering in the final year of his two year, $12 million contract in Denver. This wouldn't be the first time that you read O’Reilly name in this space. O'Reilly and the Avs have had a not-so-cheery history when it comes to contract negotiations. There's no reason to believe that their future negotiations will be peaceful and amicable.
Au contraire mon frere.
In July 2013, the two sides avoided an ugly arbitration hearing, which came after the Avalanche filed for team-elected salary arbitration.
O'Reilly had just concluded a career year in which he put up 28 goals and 64 points, while playing an integral two-way role for the Avalanche. The 24-year-old power center already has six years of NHL service in his hockey bag, therefore, he will be eligible to become a UFA next summer.
The Avalanche were in tough talks with O'Reilly after his qualifying offer would have had to be $6.5 million. The team elected for salary arbitration to try to knock that number down as it was the result of an unfavorably structured offer sheet O'Reilly signed with the Calgary Flames three years ago while holding out on the Avalanche. Colorado matched that sheet and kept O'Reilly in Denver. A nasty summer ensued. The forecast calls for more drama and hand-wringing.
The Avs will now have to qualify O’Reilly at $6.5 million per season on a multi-year deal and it’s not likely to end well for O’Reilly and the Avs. Colorado management have to get to work on extending young gun Nathan MacKinnon whose entry level contract will expire at the end of the 2016-17 season. MacKinnon is going to be signed to a max out deal to the tune of 8 years and $60-$64 million. Matt Duchene is earning $6 million per season for four more seasons. Paul Stastny skated out of Denver to seek greener pastures in St. Louis. O’Reilly will likely follow suit. The Avs are not going to sign him to a six year contract in the neighborhood of $39-$42 million dollars.
Tim Murray will go there. Murray has the salary cap space, the players, prospects, and draft picks to pull of this kind of trade. What’s more, he and O’Reilly’s agent have a very solid working relationship with one another. In fact, the two parties just partnered to shock the hokey world with the Evander Kane-Tyler Myers trade.
TSN’s Pierre LeBrun said on Thursday night that the Sabres are all over O’Reilly right now.
“Well, I can tell you one team that would like to get their hands on Ryan O’Reilly and that is the Buffalo Sabres. They won’t be alone. There’s going to be a long list of teams if and when the Colorado Avalanche really put this guy in play. With the Avs falling out of the playoff race one would think that they would wait until the summer, but, we know one thing about Tim Murray in Buffalo, he showed it in the Evander Kane deal. He’s not scared to go after something and make a gigantic deal, and I’m told that other first round pick, the low pick, he (Murray) is willing to include that in a package for Ryan O’Reilly if the time comes in the offseason”.
I can't speak for the other NHL teams that are interested in O'Reilly, however, I can tell you that the Sabres have had keen interest in "The Factor" for quite some time. The Avs were actively involved in the Tyler Myers trade talks and its believed that ROR was part of the compensation package.
The Avs can use their first rounder and Buffalo's first rounder to fortify their depleted D corps.
LeBrun: Tim Murray Very Interested In Ryan O'Reilly; Could Include 1st Rounder In A Deal http://t.co/VjUjz4y46v
I’m assuming that the first round draft choice that LeBrun is alluding to either the NY Islander or St. Louis Blues pick. Winnipeg will take possession of the lowest of Buffalo’s three 2015 first rounders. Murray will be holding on to his own 2015 first rounder because that will represent Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel. However, I can see him dealing his 2015 second-rated first rounder, center Mikhail Grigorenko, and a defenseman to Colorado in exchange for Ryan O’Reilly.
Imagine a 2015-16 Sabres roster that boasts of these center icemen:
Zemgus Girgensons
Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel
Sam Reinhart
Ryan O’Reilly
Tyler Ennis (would move to left wing)
O'Reilly, an Erie Otters alum, would look good playing with fellow Otter McDavid just 90 minutes northeast of Erie, PA.
Grigorenko would be made expendable with an O’Reilly acquisition. Grigo play exceptionally well for Patrick Roy during the junior hockey days together at the Quebec Remparts.
The price for O'Reilly will be high, and well it should be for a player of his ilk. Murray has the currency to make this deal and I like his chances to do so.
Murray will not be out bid or out worked regarding a trade for O'Reilly. If he can expedite a deal, he'll push for it. If he has to wait until after the Stanley Cup is awarded, then so be it. All I know is that Murray will continue to communicate with ROR's agent and the Avs. Do not be surprised if Murray completes another blockbuster trade. He usually gets that he wants.
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O'Reilly works harder in the offseason that some NHL work during the regular season. He's a workout warrior and his offseason training routine is legendary in and around NHL circles.
Connor McDavid doesn't have to check the NHL standings every morning to see which NHL teams are in the hunt to draft him first overall in this June's NHL Draft in Sunrise, Florida.
McDavid told "Hockey Central @ Noon" that Twitter does all of the tabulations and speculations for him. McDavid has millions of Buffalo Sabres fans spanning the globe to bring him daily updates of where the Sabres are at in the NHL standings. Buffalo is currently in 30th place overall.
“If you’re looking at the standings each and every day, you’re going to get caught up,” McDavid said. “Twitter does a good job of keeping me updated with the standings.”
The Toronto native said that its very hard to be a Leaf fan right now, referring to Toronto's current slide that has seen them fire their head coach and lose 22 of 25 games played.
Last week it was reported that Leafs President Brendan Shanahan's plan to tear-it-0all-down-to-build-it-back up was approved by the Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment board. Talk about too many cooks in the kitchen. The Leafs entered the McEichel arms race too late into the process. The Buffalo Sabres and Edmonton Oilers are the NHL cellar dwellers and have the best odds of selecting McDavid first overall. The Leafs could fall as low as 28th overall by season's end. Then they would have to rely on winning the he lottery in order to get their grubby mitts on McDavid.
The Leafs have traded away defenseman Cody Franson and forward Mike Santorelli. Now there's talk of the Bids trading Phil Kessel, Dion Phaneuf, Roman Polack, and their other difference making players. The Leafs are going to burn it to the ground. McDavid's not so impressed with them right now.
“With the Leafs and how they’ve been playing of late, it’s hard to be a Leafs fan right now,” McDavid said. “Your loyalty goes to the team you’re playing for.”
Spoken like a true Buffalo Sabres fan, Connor. The Sabres have a war chest full of young, talented players to surround you with and will be adding many more picks and players at the March 2 trade deadline to be used as currency on NHL Draft Day.
McDavid used the word “intently” to describe how he and his family will be watching April's NHL Lottery seeding program to find out which NHL team will earn the #1 overall selection in this talent-heavy draft.
Asked about what elements of his game that he is working on perfecting these days McDaid answered:
“I have to be using my speed and make sure I’m accelerating with the puck, going at defenders instead of slowing down.”
McDavid starred on Team Canada's gold medal winning squad at the recently completed IIHF World Junior Championship and said that the one take away from the WJCs is learning “How to play under pressure.”
Pressure? What pressure? McDavid is ready for the NHL. Now he just has to get his Erie Otters into the Memorial Cup Finals and possibly win it all.
McDavid and his family are already putting together their travel plans and their guest list for invitations to the biggest day of McDavid's hockey life. He said that he gives the draft a little thought here and their but that his mind is set on playing the best he can every game between now and the end of the season for his Erie Otters. McDavid, Strome, Baptiste, DeBrincat, MacDermott, and the rest of the Otters are on a collision course right now with the Bailey, Nurse, Ritchie, Tolchinsky, DeAngelo and the Soo Greyhounds for the OHL Western Conference playoff championships. The victor will advance to represent the OHL at the Memorial Cup in May.
McDavid said that he is taking it all one skate stride at a time.
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