Trade: Ryan O'Reilly to St Louis Blues

[Mustache of God]

Sabres play in St. Louie on December 27th.

 

Blues don't come to town until March 17th. Does O'Reilly get a tribute video? Or does he get booed? I don't know what kind of tribute he'd get, "gee, thanks for all the losing?". My money is that he gets no video and boos.

[LTS]

Sabres play in St. Louie on December 27th.

 

Blues don't come to town until March 17th. Does O'Reilly get a tribute video? Or does he get booed? I don't know what kind of tribute he'd get, "gee, thanks for all the losing?". My money is that he gets no video and boos.

 

No video... the boos will depend on how the Sabres are doing and how he is going in St. Louis.  At least I think that...

 

If the Sabres are better then he will get booed.  If they are not better then he won't get booed.

[dudacek]

Btw, Hamilton was on with Schopp and Bulldog last night and spoke to the issue that Andy Strickland had raised with White -- that Eichel had pissed off several veterans, not just ROR. It starts at the ~31:00 mark of this segment.

 

https://wgr550.radio.com/media/audio-channel/07-02-schopp-bulldog-hour-4

 

This sounds less controversial to me now. The upshot appears to be that Eichel blew into town as a brash, cocky kid who decidedly did NOT play the role of humble rookie, and that that he pissed off a lot of the veterans as a result. It also sounds like most veterans got over it, as Eichel matured and improved his attitude, but ROR held onto those initial feelings and continued to harbour ill feelings for Eichel.

 

 

Wasn't O'Reilly's problem with Colorado essentially envy — that he believed he was contributing more to the team than others who got more acclaim and/or cash?

If he felt that way about Jack the past three years — and I could see why — there is a pattern.

Edited July 3, 2018 by dudacek

[inkman]

Sabres play in St. Louie on December 27th.

 

Blues don't come to town until March 17th. Does O'Reilly get a tribute video? Or does he get booed? I don't know what kind of tribute he'd get, "gee, thanks for all the losing?". My money is that he gets no video and boos.

How about a toast?

[SDS]

Wasn't O'Reilly's problem with Colorado essentially envy — that he believed he was contributing more to the team than others who got more acclaim and/or cash?

If he felt that way about Jack the past three years — and I could see why — there is a pattern.

 

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/7GkAAOSwDEtaELmz/s-l1600.jpg

[3putt]

I imagine this has at least some level of impact on the decision to move him. The “locker room” stuff has always been mostly vague, but this is certainly part of it.

maybe puts a new spin on Eichel's "just happy to be here" comment.  I'll hang up and listen.

[Hoss]

And, for the record, I've never heard anything to support *that* claim. And I've asked.

Same. I’ve seen some talk about it amongst fans in Winnipeg but all admit it’s wild speculation when pressed.

 

Meanwhile, O’Reilly has actually had a very public incident with alcohol yet it’s just “spin.”

[Eleven]

Same. I’ve seen some talk about it amongst fans in Winnipeg but all admit it’s wild speculation when pressed.

 

Meanwhile, O’Reilly has actually had a very public incident with alcohol yet it’s just “spin.”

 

To be fair, he was acquitted in the Tim Horton's case.

 

Pi, I'm just repeating what I've heard.  If you (1) don't want to believe that I heard it or (2) don't want to believe that the persons from whom I've heard it are being accurate, I can't help you.

 

LTS and weave's points regarding your take on Bogosian are instructive, though.

[7+6=13]

It seems to me ROR did not understand the situation.  As the older player I'd expect him to know what Eichel means to the Sabres and act accordingly.  Eichel separate from that needed/needs time to develop as a person and player.  If ROR couldn't accept those terms than he needed to go.  

[Robviously]

Same. I’ve seen some talk about it amongst fans in Winnipeg but all admit it’s wild speculation when pressed.

 

Meanwhile, O’Reilly has actually had a very public incident with alcohol yet it’s just “spin.”

It's actually amazing how much we pushed his drunk-driving into a Tim Hortons incident out of our collective consciousness. A normal person doing that might still be in jail right now. If he'd have hurt or killed someone, his career would have ended immediately.

 

We really wanted to believe in him.

[WildCard]

So, if I have this correct.  You say that drug use is rampant in the NHL and there are people in the Sabres locker room that have the same issues (in reference to the discussion on Kane).  Then when someone says ROR is abusing alcohol you tell people he's being thrown under the bus and you demand sources.

 

Would you say that I am accurately reflecting your conversation here?

Well played

[TrueBlueGED]

If O'Reilly was seen as too slow, and everyone wanted a player that could keep up with Jack on his wing, why would you think O'Reilly would flourish there?

 

If Thompson is every bit the skater O'Reilly is but has a much better shot, do you not think that would translate better? 

 

 

 

I hate you. I had moved on, I really did. And then you go and pull me right back in. You suck! :p

 

Who saw O'Reilly as too slow? His coaches, or fans? O'Reilly's best offensive season statistically in his career was stapled to Duchene's wing, one of the fastest skaters in the league. O'Reilly is one of those players who can play fast without skating fast.

 

As to why I think it was such a good idea to see, it's because of O'Reilly's defensive ability and play off the puck. I really don't think Eichel is an easy player to play with in the sense that he's so puck dominant. Whoever he plays with needs to have a sense of how to find openings and play without the puck, and O'Reilly is tremendous at that. Furthermore, O'Reilly would help cover for Jack's fairly atrocious defensive deficiencies. One of the reasons Jack's possession stats have ranged from poor to mediocre in his career is he tends to get pinned in his own end for long stretches, because he (and Kane, whom he played with) are horrible there, and really struggle to get the puck back. Overall I think O'Reilly and Eichel had great complementary skillsets and play styles that could have formed a dominant line regardless of who the 3rd wheel happened to be. Unfortunately, both Bylsma and Housley insisted that the only way to use O'Reilly was as Patrice Bergeron, so we never got to see it.

 

And with that, I really am moving on...to praying for a Karlsson trade and subsequent flip of Risto for forward help. Onward!

[Doohicksie]

It needs to be said yet again.  Pace of play matters, not necessarily speed of the individual players. 

 

fify.  A subtle, yet significant, distinction.

[WildCard]

And with that, I really am moving on...to praying for a Karlsson trade and subsequent flip of Risto for forward help. Onward!

Better pray Bobby Ryan retires then too

[Doohicksie]

How about a toast?

 

Only if it's avocado toast.

[TrueBlueGED]

Better pray Bobby Ryan retires then too

 

Just get in touch with Dean Lombardi and ask how they pulled off the Mike Richards thing!

[Utica Club]

it's bad form for the forum anointed 'official welcomer' to be late to the party, but ...

 

WELCOME!!

 

 

Dude, we covered for ya.

 

Yes, I feel well welcomed now.  What a well mannered and hospitable group this is! 

 

Full disclosure: I sometimes drink on game days.  

 

I don't watch as many Sabres games lately as most of you.  Was O'Reilly really playing noticeably drunk of hung over?

[Eleven]

Yes, I feel well welcomed now.  What a well mannered and hospitable group this is! 

 

Full disclosure: I sometimes drink on game days.  

 

I don't watch as many Sabres games lately as most of you.  Was O'Reilly really playing noticeably drunk of hung over?

 

Not that I observed.

[jahnyc]

I am sure that internally the team was something of a mess last year and in years prior.  Chad Johnson seemed to allude to it and you get a sense that there were a number of frustrated players, not just about the losing part of it.  If this is the case, it is not just the players that need to step up, but Housley and the assistant coaches as well.

 

I would be surprised if trading O'Reilly solves the problems that may have affected this team's performance.  Have a feeling that is why we also heard that Risto could be available at the right price.

 

I hope some of the guys that we have brought in through trades will help as role models/mentors and add some additional maturity to the locker room.  We also need to hope that some of the younger players mature into team leaders.

 

I would love to see immediate improvement, but I have a feeling this is going to be a long process and JBot is taking a long view of things (i.e., the three first round picks acquired for next year).

[LTS]

I hate you. I had moved on, I really did. And then you go and pull me right back in. You suck! :P

 

Who saw O'Reilly as too slow? His coaches, or fans? O'Reilly's best offensive season statistically in his career was stapled to Duchene's wing, one of the fastest skaters in the league. O'Reilly is one of those players who can play fast without skating fast.

 

As to why I think it was such a good idea to see, it's because of O'Reilly's defensive ability and play off the puck. I really don't think Eichel is an easy player to play with in the sense that he's so puck dominant. Whoever he plays with needs to have a sense of how to find openings and play without the puck, and O'Reilly is tremendous at that. Furthermore, O'Reilly would help cover for Jack's fairly atrocious defensive deficiencies. One of the reasons Jack's possession stats have ranged from poor to mediocre in his career is he tends to get pinned in his own end for long stretches, because he (and Kane, whom he played with) are horrible there, and really struggle to get the puck back. Overall I think O'Reilly and Eichel had great complementary skillsets and play styles that could have formed a dominant line regardless of who the 3rd wheel happened to be. Unfortunately, both Bylsma and Housley insisted that the only way to use O'Reilly was as Patrice Bergeron, so we never got to see it.

 

And with that, I really am moving on...to praying for a Karlsson trade and subsequent flip of Risto for forward help. Onward!

 

I'm not trying to insinuate that you said O'Reilly was too slow.  I don't recall who said it and who didn't.  I know it was a topic of conversation.

 

I'm not arguing against his most productive season and Duchene.  It is interesting that both of those players forced their way out of Colorado though. 

 

Truthfully, I am more using your analogy of O'Reilly to say that speed isn't critical to play with Eichel.  Thompson may fill that role even better because you don't need him to be the defensive side that you wanted from O'Reilly.  Eichel did also improve his defensive play throughout the season.

 

Sorry to pull you back in. :)

[sabresparaavida]

So how about the two firsts, nylander, and Balloo for Karlsson followed by Risto for forward help?

[Doohicksie]

It's actually amazing how much we pushed his drunk-driving into a Tim Hortons incident out of our collective consciousness. A normal person doing that might still be in jail right now. If he'd have hurt or killed someone, his career would have ended immediately.

 

We really wanted to believe in him.

 

We did?  I didn't believe him for a moment.  I just wanted our newly acquired asset to be able to play hockey.

Yes, I feel well welcomed now.  What a well mannered and hospitable group this is! 

 

Full disclosure: I sometimes drink on game days.  

 

I don't watch as many Sabres games lately as most of you.  Was O'Reilly really playing noticeably drunk of hung over?

 

Hey everyone, UC is one of us!  :D

 

I never noticed ROR being visibly drunk, but then again I wasn't really looking for it.

[Hoss]

So how about the two firsts, nylander, and Balloo for Karlsson followed by Risto for forward help?

This wouldn’t get it done. They’re said to want Theodore and Tuch plus picks from Vegas. I don’t think they get that, but it’s an indication of what they want. If you REALLY want to move Risto and bring in Karlsson it’s more likely Risto is involved in the deal to land Karlsson.

I do not think Karlsson is realistic. I don’t think he’d want to come here, and I don’t think the team wants to handcuff itself once Dahlin, Mittelstadt and Eichel are on bigger deals.

 

I’ve always said, though, that you always make the cap work when it comes to truly dominant players and Karlsson is one of those guys. He and Anderson get almost all the credit for their run to game seven of the ECF two years ago.

[3putt]

I would rather target Stone.

[That Aud Smell]

What a well mannered and hospitable group this is! 

 

Give it time.

Was O'Reilly really playing noticeably drunk of hung over?

 

What was being stated upthread was that: It's an open secret that ROR went through benders of heavy drinking last season, and there were times when  heavy use of the sauce could, by way of inference, be linked to his inexplicably inconsistent play.