News Article: NHL.com - Ryan O'Reilly wants more from himself, Sabres

[JetBlk]

https://www.nhl.com/news/buffalos-ryan-oreilly-looking-for-bounceback/c-289411878

Click to read more...

 

[Ness]

A winner's attitude.

 

[Jame]

Pitch much

 

[Chainshot]

Maybe he should start by telling his brother to stop being a ****ing quitter.

 

[ZZamboni]

salary vs. production illogical rant will be typed at some point I'm sure



I hope Ryan O'Reilly gets the C next season.

And Cal can F off if he doesn't want to be an effective AHLer for the Amerks with occasion injury call ups to the big club.

 

[SharkInABoloTie]

salary vs. production illogical rant will be typed at some point I'm sure



I hope Ryan O'Reilly gets the C next season.

And Cal can F off if he doesn't want to be an effective AHLer for the Amerks with occasion injury call ups to the big club.

What was Cal's problem? Did he ever voice any concerns publicly?

 

[Paxon]

What was Cal's problem? Did he ever voice any concerns publicly?

His problems to me amount to being a crybaby b****. Who wouldn't love to either be called up to the NHL or in the AHL playoffs? No one. Who cries out after the trade deadline until a team has to loan you out to your AHL rivals? No one I've ever heard of. I am very lax on my judgments of people, including hockey players, but unless this was all somehow initiated by Murray, Cal is a born loser crybaby.

 

[AustonsNostrils]

TM gave COR a ridiculously big contract, I think it was part of the ROR courtship. $750K a year may be the biggest existing contract for an AHL vet rather than an NHLer whose team is burying him in the AHL.

 

[Sabre Dance]

A winner's attitude.

About time. It's his team. I feel justified.

 

[Jim Bob]

I hope Ryan O'Reilly gets the C next season.

I wouldn't be upset if Okposo got the C given all the talk that he was the one stepping up and trying to hold players accountable by the end of the season.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

I wouldn't be upset if Okposo got the C given all the talk that he was the one stepping up and trying to hold players accountable by the end of the season.

That would be a terrible mistake. Okposo was invisible for large stretches, and has been a Sabre one year. The C needs to go to Eichel. RoR as one A and then alternate the other A between Risto and Okposo. If he was trying to hold other players accountable then I hope he looked in the mirror because he was invisible far too often. He did not earn his pay. We need him to be scoring 60 points a season at 6 mil because he doesn't PK, he isn't physical and he isn't good defensively.

RoR seems to me as the perfect consummate Assistant/Alternate captain, the guy who does it on the ice but when it comes to media and talking for the team that's all Jack Eichel. He is the next captain and should be this upcoming year, since Murray is gone hopefully that means Gio is too, even if Gio would come back for half of his past deal I don't want him too if it means he's still the captain.

It's quite simple, Brian Gionta does not wear the C on a team trying to establish themselves as a contender. I'd prefer the co Caps route with Eichel and RoR then having Gionta captain even for one more season. And I honestly can picture the co Caps route, it's not that bad of An idea. It worked before, and RoR=Drury and Eichel as a much better version of Briere makes sense. That way everyone is happy. But that's not my first choice, my first choice is Eichel as captain period. He deserves it.

 

[Jim Bob]

That would be a terrible mistake. Okposo was invisible for large stretches, and has been a Sabre one year. The C needs to go to Eichel. RoR as one A and then alternate the other A between Risto and Okposo. If he was trying to hold other players accountable then I hope he looked in the mirror because he was invisible far too often. He did not earn his pay. We need him to be scoring 60 points a season at 6 mil because he doesn't PK, he isn't physical and he isn't good defensively.

RoR seems to me as the perfect consummate Assistant/Alternate captain, the guy who does it on the ice but when it comes to media and talking for the team that's all Jack Eichel. He is the next captain and should be this upcoming year, since Murray is gone hopefully that means Gio is too, even if Gio would come back for half of his past deal I don't want him too if it means he's still the captain.

It's quite simple, Brian Gionta does not wear the C on a team trying to establish themselves as a contender. I'd prefer the co Caps route with Eichel and RoR then having Gionta captain even for one more season. And I honestly can picture the co Caps route, it's not that bad of An idea. It worked before, and RoR=Drury and Eichel as a much better version of Briere makes sense. That way everyone is happy. But that's not my first choice, my first choice is Eichel as captain period. He deserves it.

I don't know if Eichel is mature enough to wear the C.

And I couldn't care less how much Okposo is paid. Multiple players said that the team really missed Okposo's leadership when he went down with the concussion.

That is what I would want in a captain when I coach. I don't like slapping the C on the most talented player.

 

[SharkInABoloTie]

I don't know if Eichel is mature enough to wear the C.

And I couldn't care less how much Okposo is paid. Multiple players said that the team really missed Okposo's leadership when he went down with the concussion.

That is what I would want in a captain when I coach. I don't like slapping the C on the most talented player.

The one argument I can make for Jack is that he very much seems to be the vocal leader in the room and excelling on the ice is a big part of leading by example. At this point, I can't see how either he or ROR would be a bad choice.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

Leadership does not come from wearing a letter. Wearing a letter comes from being a leader. True leaders don't require a letter to be a leader, they do it anyway because they are who they are. I'm puzzled and maybe a little disappointed to hear O'Reilly saying he didn't step up and be vocal toward the end of the season. If Gionta wasn't saying or doing the things necessary to clean up whatever poor behavior was going on, then O'Reilly is one of the guys that should step up. Okposo being that guy just shows why letters don't really matter.

Okposo is a well respected guy that is probably much more mature than most of the roster. He'll be a leader no matter what, but if nobody else displays that leadership he sure as hell should wear a letter. His on-ice performance (was good enough for me under Dufus) has little to do with the off-ice stuff where true leadership is required. Who's going out too much or too late? Making poor decisions, can't be on time or cuts it too close often? Who is having personal problems affecting practice/play? None of this crap requires a guy that puts up 7 pts every 10 games like clockwork. It requires a guy with maturity and some life experience that can command some respect and be a positive example.

If more than three guys (7,8, whatever) are like that, then it doesn't matter who wears a letter. The leadership is there in the locker room regardless. If there's only a couple guys like that, then maybe it matters more. BUT...choosing the wrong guy to wear a letter will NEVER prevent a TRUE leader from being a leader. If there are too many punks that choose to not listen to a true leader because he doesn't wear a letter, then it's time to clean house and keep the leader (letter or not).

Leadership is a collective commodity that transcends the rather shallow step of stitching an "A" or a "C" on someone's sweater. A team will either have enough, or not. The lettering is a small and minor representation of who is a part of that leadership group. Fans get way too caught up in that aspect of it, and are never really privy to know who the respected voices are behind the scenes.

 

[Sabre the Win]

I would give the C to jack and let him lead by example on the ice and make O'Reilly and Okposo A's to be the voices in the locker room.

 

[Jim Bob]

The one argument I can make for Jack is that he very much seems to be the vocal leader in the room and excelling on the ice is a big part of leading by example. At this point, I can't see how either he or ROR would be a bad choice.

I have seen more players pointing to Okposo being the vocal leader in the room that most people say that they want than players saying Jack is that guy.

 

[wunderpanda]

I'd like more from ROR of he believes he has more to give. Doesn't strike me as an inspirational speaker, not a rah-rah guy, certainly not a disciplinarian. Doesn't even seem like a guy that starts a conversation. Self deprecation won't embiggen his sphere of influence, after 8 years his voice won't grow louder. Said it himself, had to wait for Okposo to be a leader.

Hard worker, obsessive, not a leader if nobody was following. He gave himself an unrealistic expectation.

 

[Der Jaeger]

I'd like more from ROR of he believes he has more to give. Doesn't strike me as an inspirational speaker, not a rah-rah guy, certainly not a disciplinarian. Doesn't even seem like a guy that starts a conversation. Self deprecation won't embiggen his sphere of influence, after 8 years his voice won't grow louder. Said it himself, had to wait for Okposo to be a leader.

Hard worker, obsessive, not a leader if nobody was following. He gave himself an unrealistic expectation.

Leadership doesn't need to be a rah-rah thing. Nor does it have to be about inspirational speaking or discipline.

Leadership is also a learned behavior. I've got no issues with O'Reilly realizing his shortcomings and working on them.

 

[Myllz]

What exactly did they change when Okposo said something?

 

[Dreakon13]

Too many guys shrugging off losses in the room. You can tell it was frustrating guys like ROR, Eichel and Lehner... at least publicly, who knows how many more were annoyed by or guilty of it themselves behind the scenes. The team won't go anywhere until everyone in the room is equally hungry/frustrated.

You can't force some players to care at the level needed to compete in this league though, even if ROR were more vocal. A new GM and a new coach most likely wouldn't inherently change that either... that's why the team is still another big turnover away from rounding the corner on this rebuild IMO. Ennis, Moulson, Bogo, etc. Guys who seem to lack that snarl, that killer instinct, and 'losing ****ing sucks' attitude. (My impression as the humble observer anyways.)

 

[joshjull]

What exactly did they change when Okposo said something?

Who knows what went on behind the scenes. Maybe late in the season Okposo tried to do something about the dysfunction or rudderless nature of things and tried to fill the void. Then he got hurt.

I'm not quite sure what you're directing your laughter at.

 

[joshjull]

Leadership doesn't need to be a rah-rah thing. Nor does it have to be about inspirational speaking or discipline.

Leadership is also a learned behavior. I've got no issues with O'Reilly realizing his shortcomings and working on them.

While I agree to a certain extent. ROR has always struck me as someone who is quick to beat himself up and is hard on himself, in some cases much harder than necessary. But he doesn't seem the type to go to teammates to constructively or negatively critique their game. Though would work with them if they came to him, like his ROR practices after the team one. I have to say those practices get overplayed by fans and media. I've seen a couple live.

 

[Der Jaeger]

While I agree to a certain extent. ROR has always struck me as someone who is quick to beat himself up and is hard on himself, in some cases much harder than necessary. But he doesn't seem the type to go to teammates to constructively or negatively critique their game. Though would work with them if they came to him, like his ROR practices after the team one. I have to say those practices get overplayed by fans and media. I've seen a couple live.

I think self-motivation and self-discipline is WAY harder to teach than learning how to give appropriate feedback/constructive criticism. O'Reilly has the former in spades. If he's got to grow on the later, so be it.

Drury was a quiet leader. And also effective. I think it took him time in Colorado to develop into that person.

Agree, the extra practice thing is overblown.

 

[tsujimoto74]

I think self-motivation and self-discipline is WAY harder to teach than learning how to give appropriate feedback/constructive criticism. O'Reilly has the former in spades. If he's got to grow on the later, so be it.

Drury was a quiet leader. And also effective. I think it took him time in Colorado to develop into that person.

Agree, the extra practice thing is overblown.

He came here knowing that he needed to be more vocal in the room, etc. if he wanted to become that leader. He talked candidly about it in interviews shortly after the trade. It's been 2 seasons, and we're still hearing the same thing from him. Maybe he just doesn't have it in him to be that guy. He's a fantastic player, incredibly hard worker, and should keep an "A" on his chest for a long time, but I maybe he doesn't have the personality to be "C" material.