Ryan O’Reilly Not Safe Trade For Buffalo Sabres
By Tim Redinger
The Buffalo Sabres have to be getting to the point where they are going to start making trades to bring players in for the future, and not the short term. With rumors swirling once again that the team is interested in Colorado Avalanche forward Ryan O’Reilly, you have to think that a center like that is a long term solution to a Buffalo Sabres problem.
The only problem is, does Ryan O’Reilly think the Buffalo Sabres are a long term stop solution for his hockey career?
The Buffalo Sabres could most definitely make a trade for the 23 year old forward. There are just two problems with Ryan O’Reilly.
The Ryan O’Reilly Contract
The Colorado Avalanche signed him to a two year deal that comes with six million dollar cap hit. The Buffalo Sabres can certainly afford to pay the price, but it was only a two year deal. That puts Ryan O’Reilly on the free agency map at the end of next season.
Trading for O’Reilly only guarantees you the player for a year and a half. Not exactly a long term solution.
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You would have to think that the Buffalo Sabres would want to talk to O’Reilly’s agent to make sure the two sides thought the move was going to be compatible and that a contract extension would be a done deal the minute the two sides could put ink to paper.
Through 48 games this year, have the Colorado Avalanche really got a center that is worth that contract? He only has nine goals and 26 points, and that is enough to put him seventh on the Avalanche roster.
A move to the Buffalo Sabres would put him third in goal scoring, and second in overall points.
For what its worth the Colorado Avalanche are having scoring problems as well, and a move over to Buffalo would most likely stunt the scoring of O’Reilly in the short term.
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If Ryan O’Reilly is looking for a place to be the big fish, then the Buffalo Sabres might be a good fit for him. He only has to walk across the locker room to the stall filled by Daniel Briere to figure out everything he needs to know about the Buffalo Sabres, well at least the city. It has been long enough for Briere to be gone that the entire regime has changed over – and he doesn’t need Briere to tell him that the team is a hot mess and something more at this point.
The final verdict on any trade to bring Ryan O’Reilly to the Buffalo Sabres – I would avoid this type of trade. Could the Buffalo Sabres use a player of his ilk? Certainly. But when you traded Zach Kassian for Cody Hodgson – you were supposed to get that type of player as well.
Hodgson has turned into a literal tire fire, and has become the teams newest Ville Leino character.
If the asking price for O’Reilly seems to be a little on the high side, then steer clear, because you could be overpaying for a guy that is going to do nothing but be a stop over type player looking to make his move back into the big pond come free agency 2015.