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NHL trade grades: Maple Leafs get Ryan O’Reilly, their possible ‘missing piece’

Published

2 years ago

February 18, 2023

The trade

Maple Leafs get: Ryan O’Reilly (50 percent of salary retained by Blues, 25 percent by Wild), Noel Acciari and Josh Pillar

Blues get: Mikhail Abramov and Adam Gaudette, Toronto’s first-round selection in the 2023 draft, Ottawa’s third-round selection in the 2023 draft and Toronto’s second-round selection in the 2024 draft

Wild get: Maple Leafs’ fourth-round selection in the 2025 draft

Eric Duhatschek: So, what looks like a complicated three-way trade among the Leafs, Blues and Wild — which officially included nine separate pieces — really comes down to this: Toronto spent big to pick up the 2019 Conn Smythe Trophy winner, Ryan O’Reilly, in a bid to end one of the most puzzling, frustrating, lengthy examples of playoff futility. An inability to win a round since 2004. An inability to win a championship since 1967.

Is O’Reilly the missing piece? Based on the evidence of this season alone, maybe not. He’s had an up-and-down time of it, with just 19 points in 40 games overall, looking as if the years are taking their toll on a heart-and-soul player who bleeds team and oozes leadership.

But he’s been better of late, after recovering from a broken foot and returning to the Blues’ lineup following a 14-game absence, and has managed three points in three games. Ultimately, the Leafs are banking on the fact that when the postseason begins, pedigree matters.

With O’Reilly on board, the Leafs make up a small bit of ground on the vast lead that the Tampa Bay Lightning have in playoff experience — and who’s kidding who? With two months to go in the season, it would take a miracle for Toronto’s first-round opponent to be anyone other than the battle-tested Lightning. One could argue that Toronto has questions in goal and on defense, in addition to the fact that they are a touch soft up front.

O’Reilly balances the scales a little and Noel Acciari, serviceable and experienced, is a useful depth add, though there is no point in overrating what he brings either. In 54 career playoff games, Acciari has seven points. He’ll battle for the Leafs in the trenches, but his contributions will mostly be in providing invisible minutes and the ability to push back when the likes of Pat Maroon and Corey Perry try to flex their muscles against a Leafs team with a softish bottom six.

The acquisition cost — not just to land O’Reilly, but to get the Minnesota Wild to soften the financial blow — ends up being four draft picks: a first, a second, a third and a fourth, spread out over four years. The third pick originally belonged to Ottawa, which Toronto acquired when they agreed to take Matt Murray and his contract off the Senators’ hands. One could still argue that Toronto’s biggest question mark remains in goal, and that when they do play the Lightning, the gap between Andrei Vasilevskiy and Ilya Samsonov will be cavernous.

There’s only value in surrendering that much draft capital if you win. Not so much if you lose. Could the Leafs have spent that elsewhere? Maybe. It all hinges on what O’Reilly ultimately brings to the mix — and if his presence ends that long, lengthy playoff drought.

The Blues get a player, Adam Gaudette, who has been almost a point-a-game player in the AHL but really doesn’t project as an NHLer anymore, plus 2019 fourth-rounder Mikhail Abramov. Minnesota essentially buys a fourth-round pick for retaining a quarter of O’Reilly’s salary.

Maple Leafs grade: B
Blues grade: B-plus
Wild grade: B

Dom Luszczyszyn: Four years ago, O’Reilly won the Selke Trophy, the Conn Smythe Trophy and the Stanley Cup. That O’Reilly is probably not walking through the door for the Maple Leafs, not after his weakest season in years. The idea of the man is a bit bigger than what the man actually is, but the Leafs are still acquiring a strong, smart player with playoff pedigree. He’s just in need of a lesser role.

If you’re expecting a top-line center, like what O’Reilly had been for the past half-decade or so, chances are you’ll be disappointed. At age 32, O’Reilly’s game has dropped below that level this season as he’s struggled to produce anywhere near his usual rate. But the Leafs don’t need O’Reilly to be a top-line center; they already have two of the game’s best. They need someone who can lead the supporting cast, and that’s a role O’Reilly should be able to thrive in.

O’Reilly’s value has dropped every year since 2018-19, but he’s still projected to be worth 1.2 wins. That may even be modest, given some of the bad luck he’s faced this year compared to years prior and the context of his minutes. O’Reilly’s minutes are tougher than 97 percent of the league this season, but they surely won’t be in Toronto, where he’ll play either on one of the top two lines or in a lessened shutdown role in the bottom six. Either way, he should put up better numbers with the Leafs.

There is some concern with O’Reilly at both ends of the ice this season that make his acquisition a bit of a risk. He’s allowing chances and goals at the highest rate of his career and while he’s creating a lot of chances the other way, they aren’t going in. Relative to teammates, his impact on goals has been negative for two straight seasons. Maybe that’s bad luck, but it’s one reason to be cautious about calling the move a certified slam dunk.

The Leafs need it to be, because they paid a huge cost in draft picks to make it happen. Toronto shipped out first-, second-, third- and fourth-round picks to make the money work — a hefty price — and added Acciari as well. St. Louis did very well to get that much for a declining asset and should be commended for getting top dollar back despite a down season for O’Reilly.

That huge cost won’t matter if it works, and O’Reilly very well might be the piece that puts Toronto over the top. But it’s still a risk to essentially go all-in on a 32-year-old coming off an injury and playing well below his usual standards. O’Reilly’s reputation is sterling enough to make him a worthwhile target, and his playoff resume is obviously attractive to a team like the Leafs, who are desperate to finally take the next step. It’s time to see if he lives up to the hype and gets them there.

Maple Leafs grade: B
Blues grade: A
Wild grade: B

(Photo of Ryan O’Reilly: Bob Frid / USA Today)

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Fernandez and Dabrowski headline Canadian lineup for Billie Jean King Cup Finals

Published

4 hours ago

September 16, 2024

Anne Joseph

TORONTO – Singles star Leylah Fernandez and doubles specialist Gabriela Dabrowski will anchor Canada’s five-player lineup when the team tries to defend its Billie Jean King Cup title in mid-November.

The 26th-ranked Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open finalist from Laval, Que., is the lone Canadian in the top 100 of the WTA Tour’s singles rankings.

Dabrowski, from Ottawa, is ranked fourth on the doubles list. The 2023 U.S. Open women’s doubles champion won mixed doubles bronze with Felix Auger-Aliassime at the recent Paris Olympics.

Marina Stakusic of Mississauga, Ont., returns after a breakout performance last year, capped by her singles win in Canada’s 2-0 victory over Italy in the final. Vancouver’s Rebecca Marino is also back and Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion from Mississauga, Ont., returns to the squad for the first time since 2022.

“Winning the Billie Jean King Cup in 2023 was a dream come true for us, and not only that, but I feel like we made a statement to the world about the strength of this nation when it comes to tennis,” Canada captain Heidi El Tabakh said Monday in a release. “Once again, we have a very strong team this year with Bianca joining Leylah, Gaby, Rebecca and Marina, making it an extremely powerful team that is more than capable of going all the way.

“At the end of the day, our goal is to make Canada proud, and we’ll do our best to bring the same level of effort and excitement that we had in last year’s finals.”

Fernandez, who beat Jasmine Paolini to clinch Canada’s first-ever title at the competition, is ranked No. 42 in doubles.

Canada, which received an automatic berth as defending champion, will play the winner of the first-round tie between Great Britain and Germany on Nov. 17 at Malaga’s Martin Carpena Arena.

Australia, Italy and wild-card entry Czechia also received first-round byes. The tournament, which continues through Nov. 20, also includes host Spain, Slovakia, the United States, Poland, Japan and Romania.

Stakusic is up 27 spots to No. 128 in the latest world singles rankings. Marino is at No. 134 and Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open champion, is ranked 167th.

Canada will look to become the first team since Czechia in 2016 to successfully defend its Billie Jean King Cup title.

Malaga will also host the Nov. 19-24 Davis Cup Final 8. The Canadian men qualified over the weekend with a 2-1 victory over Great Britain in Manchester.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.

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Penguins re-sign Crosby to two-year extension that runs through 2026-27 season

Published

5 hours ago

September 16, 2024

Anne Joseph

PITTSBURGH – Sidney Crosby plans to remain a Pittsburgh Penguin for at least three more years.

The Penguins announced on Monday that they re-signed the 37-year-old from Cole Harbour, N.S., to a two-year contract extension that has an average annual value of US$8.7 million. The deal runs through the 2026-27 season.

Crosby was eligible to sign an extension on July 1 with him entering the final season of a 12-year, $104.4-million deal that carries an $8.7-million salary cap hit.

At the NHL/NHLPA player media tour in Las Vegas last Monday, he said things were positive and he was optimistic about a deal getting done.

The three-time Stanley Cup champion is coming off a 42-goal, 94-point campaign that saw him finish tied for 12th in the league scoring race.

Crosby has spent all 19 of his NHL seasons in Pittsburgh, amassing 592 goals and 1,004 assists in 1,272 career games.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.

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Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar wins Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal

Published

15 hours ago

September 16, 2024

Anne Joseph

MONTREAL – Tadej Pogacar was so dominant on Sunday, Canada’s Michael Woods called it a race for second.

Pogacar, a three-time Tour de France champion from Slovenia, pedalled to a resounding victory at the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal.

The UAE Team Emirates leader crossed the finish line 24 seconds ahead of Spain’s Pello Bilbao of Bahrain — Victorious to win the demanding 209.1-kilometre race on a sunny, 28 C day in Montreal. France’s Julian Alaphilippe of Soudal Quick-Step was third.

“He’s the greatest rider of all time, he’s a formidable opponent,” said Woods, who finished 45 seconds behind the leader in eighth. “If you’re not at your very, very best, then you can forget racing with him, and today was kind of representative of that.

“He’s at such a different level that if you follow him, it can be lights out.”

Pogacar slowed down before the last turn to celebrate with the crowd, high-five fans on Avenue du Parc and cruise past the finish line with his arms in the air after more than five hours on the bike.

The 25-year-old joined Belgium’s Greg Van Avermaet as the only multi-time winners in Montreal after claiming the race in 2022. He also redeemed a seventh-place finish at the Quebec City Grand Prix on Friday.

“I was disappointed, because I had such good legs that I didn’t do better than seventh,” Pogacar said. “To bounce back after seventh to victory here, it’s just an incredible feeling.”

It’s Pogacar’s latest win in a dominant year that includes victories at the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia.

Ottawa’s Woods (Israel Premier-Tech) tied a career-best in front of the home crowd in Montreal, but hoped for more after claiming a stage at the Spanish Vuelta two weeks ago.

“I wanted a better result,” the 37-year-old rider said. “My goal was a podium, but at the same time I’m happy with the performance. In bike racing, you can’t always get the result you want and I felt like I raced really well, I animated the race, I felt like I was up there.”

Pogacar completed the 17 climbs up and down Mount Royal near downtown in five hours 28 minutes 15 seconds.

He made his move with 23.3 kilometres to go, leaving the peloton in his dust as he pedalled into the lead — one he never relinquished.

Bilbao, Alaphilippe, Alex Aranburu (Movistar Team) and Bart Lemmen (Visma–Lease) chased in a group behind him, with Bilbao ultimately separating himself from the pack. But he never came close to catching Pogacar, who built a 35-second lead with one lap left to go.

“It was still a really hard race today, but the team was on point,” Pogacar said. “We did really how we planned, and the race situation was good for us. We make it hard in the last final laps, and they set me up for a (takeover) two laps to go, and it was all perfect.”

Ottawa’s Derek Gee, who placed ninth in this year’s Tour de France, finished 48th in Montreal, and called it a “hard day” in the heat.

“I think everyone knows when you see Tadej on the start line that it’s just going to be full gas,” Gee said.

Israel Premier-Tech teammate Hugo Houle of Sainte-Perpétue, Que., was 51st.

Houle said he heard Pogacar inform his teammates on the radio that he was ready to attack with two laps left in the race.

“I said then, well, clearly it’s over for me,” Houle said. “You see, cycling isn’t that complicated.”

Australia’s Michael Matthews won the Quebec City GP for a record third time on Friday, but did not finish in Montreal. The two races are the only North American events on the UCI World Tour.

Michael Leonard of Oakville, Ont., and Gil Gelders and Dries De Bondt of Belgium broke away from the peloton during the second lap. Leonard led the majority of the race before losing pace with 45 kilometres to go.

Only 89 of 169 riders from 24 teams — including the Canadian national team — completed the gruelling race that features 4,573 metres in total altitude.

Next up, the riders will head to the world championships in Zurich, Switzerland from Sept. 21 to 29.

Pogacar will try to join Eddy Merckx (1974) and Stephen Roche (1987) as the only men to win three major titles in a season — known as the Triple Crown.

“Today gave me a lot of confidence, motivation,” Pogacar said. “I think we are ready for world championships.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2024.

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