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Vancouver Canucks: Rumoured interest in Ryan O’Reilly

By Alex Hoegler

TORONTO, ON - MARCH 26: Buffalo Sabres Center Ryan O'Reilly (90) in warmups prior to the regular season NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs on March 26, 2018 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, ON. (Photo by Gerry Angus/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - MARCH 26: Buffalo Sabres Center Ryan O'Reilly (90) in warmups prior to the regular season NHL game between the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs on March 26, 2018 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, ON. (Photo by Gerry Angus/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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TSN’s Bob McKenzie said he “wouldn’t be surprised,” if the Vancouver Canucks took a look at acquiring Buffalo Sabres center Ryan O’Reilly. Here’s why general manager Jim Benning needs to stay away.

For a team that’s supposed to be in rebuilding mode, the Vancouver Canucks have been linked to many quality players in trade rumours, beginning with Carolina Hurricanes defenceman Noah Hanifin and now Ryan O’Reilly of the Buffalo Sabres.

Bob McKenzie recently appeared on TSN 1040 and mentioned that he wouldn’t be shocked if the Canucks were inquiring about O’Reilly – who’s coming off a 24-goal, 61-point season on a lowly Buffalo team.

O’Reilly is an extremely productive centre, having scored at least 55 points in each of the last five seasons. Keep in mind that with the exception of 2013-14, these point totals have come with lowly Colorado Avalanche and Buffalo teams.

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A four-time 20-goal scorer, O’Reilly is as ideal of a No. 2 centre as it gets. He carries good size (6-foot-1, 216 pounds), and you can only imagine what he’d be able to do with Brock Boeser or maturing winger Jake Virtanen on his line.

But a trade for O’Reilly wouldn’t just bring sunshine and roses. Following a miserable last-place finish in 2017-18, O’Reilly said Buffalo was “OK with losing.” O’Reilly even admitted that he “lost the love of the game multiple times.”

It’s fine if O’Reilly is frustrated with playing on so many losing teams, but coming to Vancouver wouldn’t change his fortunes.

This is a team that is also in rebuilding mode, and far away from being a playoff contender. The Canucks shouldn’t take the risk of bringing in a player whose patience could be quite limited. They need players who are understanding of the long-term rebuild here.

Furthermore, the Canucks simply aren’t in position to swing a deal for O’Reilly. They’re not giving away Elias Pettersson, Thatcher Demko, Jonathan Dahlen or Olli Juolevi. Benning isn’t rich in draft picks, and there aren’t many roster players he can offer up here.

The Sabres could very well trade O’Reilly this offseason, and there’s little doubting that a playoff contender will be able to offer more than what Bening can. It’s not crazy to think Buffalo could get first and second round picks plus a quality prospect or young roster player for O’Reilly.

And there’s no way Benning can come close to matching an offer like that. Getting O’Reilly would have been helpful five years ago, when former GM Mike Gillis was trying to keep the championship window open.

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But this is a team in rebuilding mode, and getting O’Reilly means sacrificing too many key future assets. He’s 27 years of age and will only have so many quality years left. So Mr. Benning, I strongly suggest you avoid the temptation of trying to make a trade for O’Reilly.

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