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Let’s look back at how the St. Louis fleeced Buffalo in the Ryan O’Reilly trade

By Brad Berreman

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 12: Ryan O’Reilly #90 of the St. Louis Blues celebrates with the Conn Smythe Trophy after defeating the Boston Bruins 4-1 to win Game Seven of the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Final at TD Garden on June 12, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 12: Ryan O’Reilly #90 of the St. Louis Blues celebrates with the Conn Smythe Trophy after defeating the Boston Bruins 4-1 to win Game Seven of the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Final at TD Garden on June 12, 2019 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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The St. Louis Blues gave up a total of five players and draft picks for Ryan O’Reilly last offseason, and here’s how the Stanley Cup champions stole the Conn Smythe winner.

A year ago at this time, Ryan O’Reilly was a somewhat disgruntled (and self-reflective) member of the long-struggling Buffalo Sabres. That made him a hotly rumored trade candidate, and on July 1, 2018 he was dealt to the St. Louis Blues for forwards Patrik Berglund, Vladimir Sobotka and Tage Thompson, along with a 2019 first-round pick and a 2021 second-round pick.

O’Reilly delivered a team-high 77 points (28 goals, 49 assists) and a team-best +22 for the Blues during the regular season. He followed that up with 23 points during St. Louis’ Stanley Cup run, as he took home the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. He scored a goal in each of the final four games against the Boston Bruins, a record Stanley Cup Final scoring streak he now shares with some guy named Wayne Gretzky.

Buffalo added a first-round pick in the deal for O’Reilly, which was good, but it’s now 31st overall in next week’s draft. The second-round pick in 2021 could yield a good player, or be a trade chip for the Sabres by then.

But let’s look at the tangible immediate return the Sabres got this past season in the O’Reilly deal.

Patrik Berglund: four points in 23 games. The Sabres voided his contract after he failed to report to the team, in an apparent pouting fit regarding his diminished role. For what it’s worth, he says he doesn’t regret forfeiting the $12.5 million in salary that was left on his contract.

Vladimir Sobotka: 13 points, -20 in 69 regular season games

Tage Thompson: 12 points, -22 in 65 regular season games

Thompson is a 21-year old former first-round pick, so all is not lost in regard to his future. But Berglund quite literally quit, and Sobotka is a depreciating asset (albeit from already low value) heading toward his 32nd birthday on July 2. But next year is the final year of his contract, with a $3.5 million cap hit, so there’s that.

The Blues got their regular season points leader, and the Conn Smythe winner in what amounts to a fleecing of the Sabres. They also got a 27-year old (at the time), with five years left on his contract (four now of course) at what now looks like reasonable cap hits of $7.5 million each year through O’Reilly’s age-32 season.

Next. NHL rumors: 5 teams who could trade for Henrik Lundqvist. dark

Even if O’Reilly’s production falls off a cliff from here, getting a Stanley Cup with him in a prominent role make the deal a clear win for Blues one year in. From the Sabres’ end, they’ll be hoping Thompson becomes a useful player and two non-premium draft picks yield something of note in one form or another.

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