A Winning Habit
Fansided

Ryan O’Reilly should be the Montreal Canadiens main target

By Nick Lariviere

Canada's Ryan O'Reilly (R) vies with United States' goaltender Keith Kinkaid during the bronze medal match USA vs Canada of the 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark, on May 20, 2018. (Photo by JOE KLAMAR / AFP) (Photo credit should read JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images)
Canada's Ryan O'Reilly (R) vies with United States' goaltender Keith Kinkaid during the bronze medal match USA vs Canada of the 2018 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship at the Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark, on May 20, 2018. (Photo by JOE KLAMAR / AFP) (Photo credit should read JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images) /
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Montreal Canadiens
BUFFALO, NY – MARCH 29: (Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Making the case for O’Reilly

O’Reilly has always seemed to fly under the radar. However, he is one of the best two-way centres in the NHL. He’s a consistent point-producer as he’s had at least 55 plus points since the 2011-12 season. Additionally, his $7.5 million dollar cap hit interestingly enough, is good value for a guy who produces middle-class first line centre numbers which is much better than what the Canadiens have at the moment.

Being a reliable player at both ends could allow wingers such as Alex Galchenyuk and Jonathan Drouin to focus even more on their offensive game without getting caught as often. Both players could also learn better defense from O`Reilly.

He also brings a good size down the middle and uses it while staying disciplined. O’Reilly stands at 6’1″ and 216 pounds. He rarely crosses the line as he only got two penalty minutes last season and is often in contention for the  Lady Byng.  O’Reilly may not be physical when using his size but he does protect the puck well.

That’s an important quality to have in today’s NHL and is something that sticks with age. This makes it more unlikely that O’Reilly will decline in his 30s. Players who protect the puck well can make for longer careers than the speedsters. Eventually, speed can fade but puck control will stay with the player for a lot longer.

The Contract

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While his cap hit over the next five years may seem like a lot, it isn’t as bad as it seems. With the cap going up each year, the contract will become less and less heavy for a team to carry. Not to mention, if O’Reilly is still producing 55-65 point seasons into his 30s, it could be a great contract.

There are players like Ryan Johansen who put up 54 points while making $8 million.  Personally, I’d rather have O’Reilly who is only two years older than Johansen. He is also much better defensively.

Adding on to that, If the Montreal Canadiens manage to find a gem of a centre in the draft in upcoming years, he will also help mentor the player.

Think of O’Reilly as a bigger more offensive version of Tomas Plekanec in his prime. He is also one of the league’s best face off men. Putting those qualities together should be able to justify the length and value of his deal.

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