Fansided

One player on each NHL team that should be traded

By Jeremy Lambert

MONTREAL, QC - JANUARY 07: General manager of the Montreal Canadiens Marc Bergevin addresses the media prior to the NHL game at the Bell Centre on January 7, 2018 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Vancouver Canucks 5-2. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - JANUARY 07: General manager of the Montreal Canadiens Marc Bergevin addresses the media prior to the NHL game at the Bell Centre on January 7, 2018 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Vancouver Canucks 5-2. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images) /
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VANCOUVER, BC – JANUARY 25: Ryan O’Reilly #90 of the Buffalo Sabres skates up ice during their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on January 25, 2018 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Buffalo won 4-0. (Photo by Derek Cain/NHLI via Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BC – JANUARY 25: Ryan O’Reilly #90 of the Buffalo Sabres skates up ice during their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on January 25, 2018 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Buffalo won 4-0. (Photo by Derek Cain/NHLI via Getty Images) /

player. 12. . C. Buffalo Sabres. Ryan O'Reilly. 28

Ryan O’Reilly was supposed to take the Buffalo Sabres to the next level. What is it with young Avalanche centers not working out for other teams?

In fairness to O’Reilly, he’s been exactly what the Sabres should have expected. In Colorado, he was a responsible second option who didn’t elevate those around him, but elevated himself when playing with other top players. He’s been a similar player in Buffalo, scoring 20-plus goals and reaching 50-plus points in both seasons as a member of the Sabres. He’s on pace to post similar numbers this season.

None of this is bad. Every team would love a guy who consistently gets 20-plus goals and 50-plus points while winning the majority of his face-offs and playing responsible defensive hockey.

But $7.5 million is a lot to pay for a guy who is unlikely to be better than he is right now.

Admittedly, this is not a trade that the Sabres “need” to make. There’s nothing wrong with keep O’Reilly and hoping that things work out next season. But if the Sabres are serious about rebuilding and move forward, trading their star center makes sense.

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The case for trading O’Reilly is a simple one. He’s the most valuable non-Jack Eichel asset on Buffalo. Everyone is talking about Evander Kane, but O’Reilly is a better player than Kane and can fetch a better return. The Sabres need to do something. They’ve regressed in all three season with O’Reilly. At what point do they stop looking around O’Reilly for the issue and start looking at O’Reilly himself?

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