Of course, I’d miss the biggest NHL trade of the season yet. Somehow, I completely missed Ryan O’Rielly getting dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a huge three-team trade that completely shakes up the Eastern Conference.
I can’t believe I went a whole week without knowing about the biggest trade in the NHL.
In what I can only really call a steal, the Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired former Conn Smythe, Selke, and Stanely Cup winner Ryan O’Rielly and Noel Acciari from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for prospect Mikhail Abramov, Adam Gaudette, Toronto’s 2023 1st round pick, the Senators’ 2023 3rd round pick, and Toronto’s 2024 4th round pick, while the Maple Leafs have also sent a 2025 5th round pick to the Minnesota Wild for prospect Josh Pillar.
Now, I know O’Rielly is getting up there in age (he’s 32) and has had a dreadful season (12 G, 7 A, 19 PTS, -24 +/-) so far, but I think a huge part of his downward spiral is the collapse of the St. Louis Blues. I mean, he’s already scored 3 goals, 2 assists, and 5 points in just three games in a Toronto jersey, while the Blues have yet to win a game in his absence (they’ve lost 4 straight).
Having fallen to 6th in the Central Division and 11 points behind 8th place Colorado Avalanche (who also have three games at hand over the Blues), it’s clear the Blues upper management has hit the self-destruct button on this team.
They already traded away Vladimir Tarasenko, a former alternate captain of the team and 30+ goal scorer, to the New York Rangers for Sammy Blais and a handful of high draft picks, and now they have just offloaded the best center this franchise has had since the turn of the century.
Generally, a team doesn’t get rid of two of their most experienced and noteworthy veterans for draft picks and prospects if they are planning on making a late run for the playoffs.
But, to be honest, this Blues team needed a rebuild as it accomplished its mission of finally bringing a Stanley Cup home to St. Louis with their 2019 Cup win over the Boston Bruins. Spending valuable draft capital on marginally helpful rentals to just get knocked out in the 1st round, which has happened 2/3 years since the Cup win, like the Washington Capitals or Pittsburgh Penguins would only delay the inevitable that is hunting down all three teams: a lengthy rebuild.
Simply put, there wasn’t anything more Tarasenko and O’Rielly could have done for the Blues franchise, so getting back two first round picks for them to speed up the rebuild process was a wise idea. Still, only getting one 1st round pick for a player of Ryan O’Rielly’s statue is a bit of a letdown for St. Louis fans.
As for Toronto, this was a brilliant move by GM Kyle Dubas.
Not only did the Maple Leafs get a former Conn Smyth winner (2019), Selke winner (2019), Stanley cup winner (2019), and one of the best two-way centers in the NHL over the last decade, but they also were able to pick up a very valuable depth forward in Noel Acciari for just a couple of picks, a prospect, and a depth forward.
The loss of Gaudette is easily replaced by Noel Acciari in the Bottom-6, while Ryan O’Rielly should be one of Toronto’s Top-2 centers as John Tavares can be moved out to the wing. Though, the Maple Leafs could also just put O’Rielly as the 3rd-line center with Pierre Engvall and Alex Kerfoot to create one of the best 3rd lines in the entire NHL.
Seeing how the Maple Leafs will most likely be facing off against the Tampa Bay Lighting in the 1st round, I think this pickup might very well be the one to finally push Toronto over the 1st-round hump and into the 2nd round for the first time since 2004.
Yes, I know that’s a crazy idea as we’re talking about the Toronto Maple Leafs here, but Ryan O’Rielly gives this team the veteran leadership and playoff winning experience (not constantly losing as Joe Thorton only knew) it desperately needs.
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