What To Do With Ryan O’Reilly ?

[tigervixxxen]

good players always get their money. it's the depth players that suffer. mcginn, winnik and likes get smaller paycheck.

Sure but I wonder when the "cap is going to explode so everyone gets 20% more now becuase of it" deals are going to fall out of fashion.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

I think Freudian brings up an interesting point. What if the cap is only at 68-69M next season? Is there REALLY a team out there willing to give O'Reilly $7M/season? Would it temper his demands a bit knowing the cap was down?

What difference does it make? He's already got a contract for next season, so the cap next year doesn't effect his extension.

 

[StayAtHomeAv]

I don't see ROR signing any long term deal with the way this year has gone. He's gonna finish below last year's stats, and he's not gonna win any awards. Sakic and Roy will no doubt use this year to try and get a better price, but we know how ROR and Newport will answer. So, if he plays for us next year, he will most likely going to crank it up in order to showcase himself for free agency. Gotta trade him, IMO.

I doubt the Avs will use this years production to try and get a lesser deal. It's not like last year was the first time he came close to 60. He hit 55, playing as the 3rd line center, and then was on pace for 57 (approx) during a season in which 95% of the team just straight sucked. I would imagine the Avs treat him like a 60+ point, Selke caliber forward when making a deal.

And I don't see RoR wanting that extra year to try and prove anymore than that. The dude has to know his limits and can't expect to jump up to a ppg player. It's more likely he has another year like this one as opposed to making another jump in production, in which case then his salary would take a hit after two down years. The question is, what are other teams willing to pay for a 60+ point, Selke caliber forward? It might be more than we are willing. That, and is he actually willing to stay here, or has there just been too much bad blood?

 

[Stories]

MHH wrote that trading ROR for Yandle might not be a bad idea. I like it, even if Yandle is a lot older. Both are UFAs after next season.

 

[Avs For Life]

Just saw someone on twitter say the TSN is reporting that it doesnt sound like ROR is in play anymore...

Can anyone confirm they said this?

Im not a fan of that choice if so

 

[S E P H]

Just saw someone on twitter say the TSN is reporting that it doesnt sound like ROR is in play anymore...

Can anyone confirm they said this?

Im not a fan of that choice if so

Dreger did say this so there has to be some truth to the rumour, BUT I also think he is strictly talking about this trade deadline which is more likely going to be the case. Personally I still think he is as good as gone.

 

[Avs For Life]

Dreger did say this so there has to be some truth to the rumour, BUT I also think he is talking strictly talking about this trade deadline which is more likely going to be the case. Personally I still think he is as good as gone.

Thanks for confirming... I hope you are right that they still look at moving him after the season. Its not that I dont like the guy...we just cant lose him for nothing.

 

[Foppa2118]

Just saw someone on twitter say the TSN is reporting that it doesnt sound like ROR is in play anymore...

Can anyone confirm they said this?

Im not a fan of that choice if so

I believe it was just Dreger saying yesterday that he's not convinced he'll be traded. Not that he's not in play any more. Unless there's something new out there.

Darren Dreger was on Winnipeg’s TSN 1290 on Wednesday afternoon.

On the price for Ryan O’Reilly in a trade, and his price is to extend his contract and make him part of your team for the long run:

“Yeah, that’s a couple of great questions. I mean the price of extending his contract is going to be a big number. And what’s his qualifying offer – 6.5? He’s an unrestricted free agent in less than a year and a half now, so he’s going to want better than 6 and maybe as much as 7, depending on how he’s playing at that point.

“But any team that is negotiating on Ryan O’Reilly – and I’m not still convinced. I don’t know about you, but I’m not, that he’s going to be traded by Colorado. I know that Patrick Roy loves him. And for the Avs to move him out, even though they have some very specific needs, it would take a heck of a lot to get him back.

“Well if you’re that team that’s engaged in that negotiation, if you’re willing to pay the price to acquire Ryan O’Reilly, then absolutely – you’re going to want to know you’ve got a shot at extending him. Otherwise you’re not going to give up the assets required to make that deal.

"So as we creep closer to the deadline – never say never, when it comes to this time of year and the possibilities that exist this time of year on any player who may or may not be available. But the more I swirl around teams who would have interest in Ryan O’Reilly and the more I try and dig around the Colorado Avalanche, the less I’m convinced he’s actually in play.”

http://www.nicholsonhockey.com/wort...-less-convinced-avalanches-oreilly-is-in-play

 

[TheFactor]

I would rather him stay tbh. I'm willing to take our chances to sign dman in free agency and wait for our defence prospects to make the jump.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

I would rather him stay tbh. I'm willing to take our chances to sign dman in free agency and wait for our defence prospects to make the jump.

If given the choice, most people would prefer he stay. No one really dislikes his play on the ice. His contract situation is why he's headed out.

 

[Foppa2118]

I disliked his play on the ice for the first half of this season, but that literally is the first time I've ever felt that way. Other than that, even if he wasn't scoring, he was playing smart hockey and making great defensive plays. For some reason that wasn't the case through most of this year though. Not that he's the only one. It's been a very strange year for the players on this team.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

I think I'd like him to be more physical. I'm not sure, though, considering he got injured celebrating a goal...

 

[tigervixxxen]

Thought this chart was interesting in terms of the jump in production O'Reilly enjoys with Duchene. He does too but not to equal extent.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

I think I'd like him to be more physical. I'm not sure, though, considering he got injured celebrating a goal...

Define physical.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

I'd like to see him finish his checks more. He seems to curl away from contact. Granted, he often comes away with the puck on his stick, but he seems to avoid hitting. He goes into the dirty places along the boards just fine, and again, often comes out with the biscuit on his stick.

 

[Foppa2118]

Thought this chart was interesting in terms of the jump in production O'Reilly enjoys with Duchene. He does too but not to equal extent.

This is why these stats don't make any sense to me. You can't compare those situations. They spent the majority of last year when they clicked and the team was playing great. Of course their numbers are going to be high there.

They've spent the majority of this year apart from one another, and they, and the team have struggled pretty much all year. Plus that chart factors in O'Reilly's first two years that were in a much different defensive role apart from Duchene. So those two situations combined, and that's a huge chunk of the sample that's being compared to another sample under entirely different, and more positive circumstances.

There isn't a correlation there because when Duchene and O'Reilly played together at the beginning of the season this year they looked terrible then too. But they weren't kept together for most of the season because of this, so those negative circumstances together don't make up a very large portion of that sample compared to last year. So if you just make a chart comparing how they play apart from one another versus with each other, of course there's going to be a stark difference.

Both play well with each other, but both should be able to play well apart from one another as well.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

I'd like to see him finish his checks more. He seems to curl away from contact. Granted, he often comes away with the puck on his stick, but he seems to avoid hitting. He goes into the dirty places along the boards just fine, and again, often comes out with the biscuit on his stick.

Separating the opponent from the puck is the objective. Physicality comes in many fashions. Your stick getting the puck is more useful than your shoulder contacting the player. A lack of physicality is a player who cannot win battles. He'll never be on the cover of an NHL Hitz video game, but O'Reilly wins puck battles.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

Separating the opponent from the puck is the objective. Physicality comes in many fashions. Your stick getting the puck is more useful than your shoulder contacting the player. A lack of physicality is a player who cannot win battles. He'll never be on the cover of an NHL Hitz video game, but O'Reilly wins puck battles.

Absolutely, and I gave him credit for that. But hits have a purpose beyond just getting the puck. Wears the opponent down, could cause them to hesitate just a moment, etc

EDIT: He doesn't have to hit every time, but players learn his style -- that he doesn't hit much -- and can prepare for it. I just think an increase in hitting would keep the opponents on their toes more, and make him less predictable.

 

[5280]

I'd like to see him finish his checks more. He seems to curl away from contact. Granted, he often comes away with the puck on his stick, but he seems to avoid hitting. He goes into the dirty places along the boards just fine, and again, often comes out with the biscuit on his stick.

He's a ninja with that stick, though.

Although, I would love to see him get pissed off one time and jack someone in the jaw. Just for haha's

 

[Foppa2118]

Separating the opponent from the puck is the objective. Physicality comes in many fashions. Your stick getting the puck is more useful than your shoulder contacting the player. A lack of physicality is a player who cannot win battles. He'll never be on the cover of an NHL Hitz video game, but O'Reilly wins puck battles.

I generally agree with this in regard to ROR, but he wasn't winning those battles through the first half of this season, and he hasn't really been tested much playing that style in the playoffs. When your tested a lot more physically in your battles. Last year in the playoffs he wasn't nearly as successful trying to play his style.

 

[TimoneX]

Avs FO should take one more bite at the apple to sign ROR asap and if it falls through they should move him for a much needed upgrade on D in the off season.

 

[henchman21]

I think ROR is going to be an excellent case study during his career. Not only in how to earn as much as possible in a hockey career naughty, but also in how his type of player succeeds in the long run

Here is what I mean by that:

On the surface we can all agree that he has all thing you think would work incredibly well in the playoffs. He is excellent defensively, has decent skill, can PK with the best of them, can win faceoffs (not so much this year, but has in the past), doesn't take penalties, he is an exceptional worker, etc. I could go on and on here.

There is one BIG question... how will ROR's game work in a 7 game series going head-to-head with the Kopitar/Towes/Bergeron's of the world? Is their (and their linemates... especially in the case of LA) forecheck and physicality going to wear down on him by the 5th/6th/7th game and render him less effective?

 

[Foppa2118]

I think ROR is going to be an excellent case study during his career. Not only in how to earn as much as possible in a hockey career naughty, but also in how his type of player succeeds in the long run

Here is what I mean by that:

On the surface we can all agree that he has all thing you think would work incredibly well in the playoffs. He is excellent defensively, has decent skill, can PK with the best of them, can win faceoffs (not so much this year, but has in the past), doesn't take penalties, he is an exceptional worker, etc. I could go on and on here.

There is one BIG question... how will ROR's game work in a 7 game series going head-to-head with the Kopitar/Towes/Bergeron's of the world? Is their (and their linemates... especially in the case of LA) forecheck and physicality going to wear down on him by the 5th/6th/7th game and render him less effective?

Exactly, that's how I'm looking at it too. He told Roy after last year he wants to learn how to win, and Roy (I'm assuming it's related) has asked ROR this year to use his body more and not rely so heavily on his stick. I've wondered if this led to some of his struggles earlier in the year because he wasn't used to doing this.

You look at a player who plays a similarly smart two way style and uses his stick extremely well in Datsyuk, and he uses his body a fair amount more than O'Reilly does. He's not at all overly physical but he makes contact with a player along the boards to take away his hands and then use his stick. Or makes the occasional hit on a player who's unsuspecting to knock him off the puck.

This isn't really part of O'Reillys game. He uses his body positioning very well to close off on a guy and get the puck, but he doesn't use the weight of his body much to separate the man from the puck. Players up their compete level in the playoffs and battle through a lot of passive defense, even if it's done smart. This is why a lot of star players over the years have had to learn how to battle more physically both offensively and defensively to have success in the grind of the playoffs.

This is has helped Datsyuk be a difference maker in his playoff runs, and it's something that IMO O'Reilly should work towards.

 

[henchman21]

Exactly, that's how I'm looking at it too. He told Roy after last year he wants to learn how to win, and Roy (I'm assuming it's related) has asked ROR this year to use his body more and not rely so heavily on his stick. I've wondered if this led to some of his struggles earlier in the year because he wasn't used to doing this.

You look at a player who plays a similarly smart two way style and uses his stick extremely well in Datsyuk, and he uses his body a fair amount more than O'Reilly does. He's not at all overly physical but he make contact with a player along the boards to take away his hands and then use his stick. Or makes the occasional hit on a player who's unsuspecting to knock him off the puck.

This isn't really part of O'Reillys game. He uses his body positioning very well, but he doesn't use his body to separate the man from the puck much. Players up their compete level in the playoffs and this is why a lot of star players over the years have had to learn how to battle more physically both offensively and defensively to have success in the grind of the playoffs.

This is has helped Datsyuk be a difference maker in his playoff runs, and it's something that IMO O'Reilly should work towards.

Also along with that Datsyuk is one of the most purely talented players in the game today. Extremely talented players can get away with being softer in the playoffs because their skill rises to the top. ROR doesn't have a pure skill set like that, or even close.

If I had to guess, I would predict ROR will have success in the playoffs over his career. It will be interesting to see how it ultimately works out though, and if he does end up great in the playoffs... it will change how I view players a bit.

 

[Foppa2118]

Also along with that Datsyuk is one of the most purely talented players in the game today. Extremely talented players can get away with being softer in the playoffs because their skill rises to the top. ROR doesn't have a pure skill set like that, or even close.

If I had to guess, I would predict ROR will have success in the playoffs over his career. It will be interesting to see how it ultimately works out though, and if he does end up great in the playoffs... it will change how I view players a bit.

Offensively, yea absolutely. I think O'Reilly's got good skill and vision offensively, but this year and pretty much his whole career aside from last year, we've kinda seen that he's not really among the super talented highly productive offensive players in the game. He has to rely on hard work first and foremost.

So in the offensive zone he's going to have to learn to battle a bit physically too, because that's part of that hard working style too. You can't just rely on playing one way in the playoffs. It's the same from a team perspective as it is from an individual standpoint. If you're too reliant on one way of playing, it will start to get shut down to an extent and be less effective, so if you're a top player, and not just a role player, you have to be able to come at teams in a different way when they key in on your strengths.

He's got to take a few hits to make plays. He's got to drive through the contact on his way to the net so he either gets there quicker when the puck arrives or takes a penalty Not just skate around the contact, and leave the rebound sitting there like I've seen happen a few times with him this year.

He's not a soft perimeter player to the extent that some other guys are, but more is expected of him in the role he envisions himself, and at the salary he's asking for. He needs to be clutch top two way player in the playoffs. In Bergeron's mold. He's not a pure skill guy like Duchene, though I definitely feel DUchene needs to bring more to his overall game too.