I don't even play the "bad vibe effect" on teammates angle. There's enough smoke to suggest that O'Reilly was/is an alcoholic, and that after some embarrassing events with O'Reilly, Kane, and Lehner (not to mention TM's lack of professionalism in some settings) that the organization simply didn't want that kind of drama and potentially negative influences among a young and growing roster.
That goes beyond some "woe is me" vibe that could get players' mojo going the wrong direction (even if that was true, it's not enough to force a trade). Being a tangibly poor influence for a bunch of 20ish guys trying to become professionals representing the team in a positive light, does warrant a trade. Some people will downplay the DWI H&R, but you better believe the day after that happened O'Reilly was scratched off the list of EVER wearing a "C" on a Sabres sweater. Mitigate that all you want, but some people think that stuff matters A LOT, and that provides a strong basis to consider trading him at some point.
For many people (and I'm going to be fairly confident that the Pegulas and Botterill are these types) no on-ice value is enough to offset a guy that has ****ed up off-ice and made unwise comments to the media during a time when the team needed resilient leadership. The whole "lost my love for the game" stuff is just a small topper to the bigger picture. It's overblown by some here for sure, because I don't think the argument those posters use is the main issue. I think the organization wanted to sweep away the negatives and start over with professionalism and character as a focal point. Kane traded, Lehner simply left to become a UFA, and O'Reilly traded after his comments were the icing on that "unprofessional cake" that was baking since his DWI. Berglund goes AWOL, his contract is terminated asap.
The O'Reilly trade was part of a bigger culture change that the Pegulas chose to pursue, and Botterill probably is on board with that based on some comments he's made about character. This argument over whether O'Reilly was a Debbie Downer in the locker room is missing the forest for the trees.
That goes beyond some "woe is me" vibe that could get players' mojo going the wrong direction (even if that was true, it's not enough to force a trade). Being a tangibly poor influence for a bunch of 20ish guys trying to become professionals representing the team in a positive light, does warrant a trade. Some people will downplay the DWI H&R, but you better believe the day after that happened O'Reilly was scratched off the list of EVER wearing a "C" on a Sabres sweater. Mitigate that all you want, but some people think that stuff matters A LOT, and that provides a strong basis to consider trading him at some point.
For many people (and I'm going to be fairly confident that the Pegulas and Botterill are these types) no on-ice value is enough to offset a guy that has ****ed up off-ice and made unwise comments to the media during a time when the team needed resilient leadership. The whole "lost my love for the game" stuff is just a small topper to the bigger picture. It's overblown by some here for sure, because I don't think the argument those posters use is the main issue. I think the organization wanted to sweep away the negatives and start over with professionalism and character as a focal point. Kane traded, Lehner simply left to become a UFA, and O'Reilly traded after his comments were the icing on that "unprofessional cake" that was baking since his DWI. Berglund goes AWOL, his contract is terminated asap.
The O'Reilly trade was part of a bigger culture change that the Pegulas chose to pursue, and Botterill probably is on board with that based on some comments he's made about character. This argument over whether O'Reilly was a Debbie Downer in the locker room is missing the forest for the trees.