Ryan O'Reilly Makes Too Much Sense for the Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are built to win now. Every move the Avs make should be about improving the team's chances over the next two or three seasons, not five years from now.
When you've got Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar in the prime of their careers, it's something that must be taken advantage of while the window is still open. That's why the Avalanche should bring back an oldie but a goodie: Ryan O'Reilly.
Avs fans are no strangers to O'Reilly. Originally drafted by the Avalanche in the second round of the 2009 NHL Draft, O'Reilly played six seasons in Colorado. He amassed 246 points in 427 career games with the Avalanche.
After he was traded to the Buffalo Sabres in 2015, he added some skills and accolades to his resume. According to Hockey-reference, O'Reilly posted a 51.8 faceoff percentage. In his time with the Sabres, St. Louis Blues, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Nashville Predators, he has now improved that mark to 56.9 per.
He's a Proven Winner
While O'Reilly started to surge with the Sabres, it was during his time with the Blues that his career took off and then some. When former Blues general manager Doug Armstrong called O'Reilly to welcome him to St. Louis the day the Blues acquired him from the Sabres, O'Reilly responded, "Let's go win a Cup."
He not only won a Stanley Cup that first year in St. Louis, but he also took home the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP and won the Selke Trophy at the NHL Awards for the league's best defensive forward.
He finished his inaugural campaign for the Blues with a career-high 77 points, scoring 28 goals and 49 assists. He added 23 points in 26 playoff games as the Blues defeated the Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final to bring home their first championship in franchise history.
The Blues named O'Reilly captain after defenseman Alex Pietrangelo signed with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2020. O'Reilly had a few more solid seasons before he was dealt to the Maple Leafs at the 2023 trade deadline.
O'Reilly signed with the Predators in the summer of 2023 to a four-year, $18 million contract. Compared to the deals being handed out around the league today, it's an absolute bargain. That's why the Avs should put him on their radar for the 2026-27 season.
His cap hit is $4.5 million for the upcoming season. The Avalanche currently have $429,159 in cap space, so general manager Joe Sakic would have to free up some space in order to make such a move.
The Predators have invested heavily to try and bring a Cup to Nashville by signing players such as Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei. Thus far, those championship aspirations have not come to fruition, nor have they made a playoff appearance since those players were signed in 2024. With an aging core, the Predators would be wise to convert some of their veteran talent into a package of younger players and draft picks.
O'Reilly Checks All the Boxes
O'Reilly could slot in the second-line center role behind MacKinnon and give the Avalanche not only an extra boost on offense, but also a center that can take defensive zone faceoffs effectively and kill penalties.
As the late pitchman Billy Mays would say, "But wait, there's more!" O'Reilly could match up against Connor McDavid, Matt Boldy, or Jack Eichel in a playoff series.
The Avalanche don't need another superstar. They need a player who makes winning easier in April, May, and June. Ryan O'Reilly has experience in that department, which is why, if he becomes available, they should bring him back to his roots.
