Do you realize that a center depth made of defensive centers isnt going to make the Habs much more competitive than last year? OReilly isnt a first line center anymore on a good team, you get OReilly if you have a skilled first line center to run the PP and before you tell me that he is a 60 pts center, dont forget that Buffalo was putting all their eggs in the same baskets trying to boost a first PP unit that was playing about the full 2 mins evertime, so to me, OReilly had inflated stats and should never be used that way on a normal team... he is a declining player since he isnt getting faster and his skills level are clearly not 1st line material.. I think Oreilly had inflated stats and is in reality decent 2-way second line center, it would be a nistake to get that guy if you dont have a more offensively gifted first line center... I would much rather trade Patch for kids and prospects instead to srtive bulding a team that is going nowhere anyway.. we will all cry as habs fans if we get Oreilly to play a first line center role...
ROR's stats are inflated on the Sabres, who were dead last by a fair margin in Goals scored, and had 20th ranked PP (it was dead last for a good chunk of the season, too)... lol.
If you look at average PP time for every team, ROR's power play time per game from last season is right in line with most good players around the NHL. So are all their stats inflated too, then?
Pacioretty had 3:06 PP toi to ROR's 3:36 last year.
Also, If that's the case (his #'s inflated from PP), how do you explain his production in Colorado?
For example, his most productive season ever, 2013-14, he was ranked #126 in power play time per game.
Or what about last year in Buffalo?
ROR was #67 in the NHL in PP time.
I get it if you don't want ROR and want to rebuild instead. That's fine. Just say that.
I feel the same way. I don't want Patches as the centerpiece for ROR. It doesn't fit Buffalo's rebuild either.
