Over the past week at Fansided NHL, especially here at The Canuck Way, we've been doing missed chances/opportunities, with a focus on the Vancouver Canucks at the NHL Entry Draft. The first two installments of the series covered David Backes at the 2003 draft and Claude Giroux at the 2006 draft.
In the third edition, we will now focus on the 2009 NHL Draft. The Canucks held the 22nd overall pick and selected forward Jordan Schroeder from the University of Minnesota. When it comes to the missed opportunity, what if the Canucks had taken Ryan O'Reilly instead of the Colorado Avalanche with the 33rd pick?
Ryan O'Reilly Falling to the Second Round
In the 2009 draft, the Avalanche took O'Reilly with the 33rd pick, 11 picks after the Canucks selected Schroeder. Between the two players, it was interesting to see the difference in perspective when dealing with NCAA numbers compared to the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).
Schroeder's first season with the Golden Gophers at Minnesota saw him finish with 13 goals and 45 points in 35 games. He also had a plus-17 that season. Not a bad freshman season for the Lakeville, MN native. Schroeder would play one more season at Minnesota (nine goals and 28 points in 37 games) before signing his pro contract, playing 11 regular-season and six playoff games for the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League (AHL).
When it came to his NHL career, it took Schroeder until the 2012-13 season before he saw time with the Canucks at 22 years old. In 31 games, he had three goals and nine points. During the 2013-14 season, Schroeder finished with three goals and six points in 25 games. That was his last season with the Canucks.
Schroeder ended up playing 56 games for the Canucks, tallying six goals and 15 points. He played six NHL seasons before heading overseas after the 2018-19 season. He ended up bouncing between the NHL and AHL with the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets.
Regarding O'Reilly, he had 16 goals and 66 points in 68 games as the alternate captain with the Erie Otters. He followed up that regular season with five assists in five playoff games. That was his second season with the Otters, during which he had 52 points in 61 games in the 2007-08 campaign.
After being drafted 33rd overall by the Avalanche, the 18-year-old O'Reilly immediately started his NHL career during the 2009-10 season. He finished with eight goals and 26 points in 81 games. O'Reilly did have 26 points again the following season, but with 13 goals and 13 assists.
Compared to Schroeder's six NHL seasons, O'Reilly is entering his 18th. He has tallied 328 goals, 570 assists, and 898 points in 1,233 games, split between the Avalanche, Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Nashville Predators.
Looking back on the 2009-10 Canucks, the season when O'Reilly started his career, they had Henrik Sedin finish with 112 points and Ryan Kesler with 75. The only other centers were Kyle Wellwood (25 points) and Pavel Dmitra (16 points). The Canucks also had Rick Rypien, who had eight points in 69 games.
Either way, even if O'Reilly was still finishing with 26 points, he was 18 years old while Wellwood was 26 at the time. O'Reilly would have 18 goals and 55 points in the 2011-12 season, just his third NHL season. While it took until year three to get going, O'Reilly has now played over 1,200 games and is two points shy of 900 points. Schroeder had 42 total points in 165 games.
All in all, with 20/20 hindsight, the Canucks should have taken O'Reilly with the 22nd overall pick back in the 2009 NHL Draft. Granted, at the time, it was an interesting spot to be in to differentiate O'Reilly's 66 points in 68 OHL games and Schroeder's 45 points in 35 games with the Golden Gophers. In the end, O'Reilly could have been a Canuck to start his career instead of an Avalanche.
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