The Toronto Maple Leafs have made a significant addition to their roster as they prepare for a deep playoff run this season. The Canadian team acquired St. Louis Blues’ captain Ryan O’Reilly in a three-team trade that also included the Minnesota Wild.
The trade will see the Maple Leafs acquiring O’Reilly and veteran forward Noel Acciari from the Blues and prospect Josh Pillar from the Wild. The Blues will get prospect Mikhail Abramov and AHL center Adam Gaudette alongside a first-round pick and second-round pick in 2023 as well as a second-rounder in 2024 from Toronto. Finally, the Wild will get a fourth-round selection from the Maple Leafs in 2025 for their role in the deal.
According to reports, the agreement between the three sides will also see the Blues retaining 50 percent and the Wild retaining 25% of O’Reilly’s $7.5-million cap hit for this season.
Ryan O’Reilly is a three-time All-Star who was a key figure in the Blues’ Stanley Cup-winning run in the 2018-19 season. The St. Louis team named him a captain after Alex Pietrangelo left in 2020, after which he continued to be one of the team’s best performers. Still, his departure doesn’t come as a surprise.
O’Reilly is set to become a free agent in the summer and was interested in staying with the Blues. However, the two sides couldn’t hammer out an agreement despite the 32-year-old player being open and taking a bit less money.
In 40 games he played with the Blues this season, O’Reilly contributed 12 goals and seven assists for a total of 19 points. He has 691 points in his 14 years in NHL.
