No. 1: Ryan O’Reilly
The St. Louis Blues are still a good hockey team, but they’re on the edge of a playoff berth right now.
If the Blues are out of contention near the trade deadline, they may be willing to sell O’Reilly, as they’ll get a great package for him in-return.
O’Reilly would be a perfect fit for Toronto in so many ways. Firstly, he’s a natural centreman, but a left-handed shot, so he and Tavares could take turns playing wing on the second-line.
It would help ease the defensive pressure for Tavares, as O’Reilly is one of the best defensive centres in the NHL.
Not only is he a great defensive player, but he’s a 20-goal scorer, who’s got the job done in the playoffs. He’s only a few years away from winning a Conn Smythe Trophy with the Blues and always plays his best in the playoffs.
Lastly, he’s a local kid and so is his wife. If there was ever a team where him and his family could easily move to mid-season, it would be Toronto.
If the Leafs want to win a Stanley Cup, they need to bolster their top-six and O’Reilly in there with a combination of William Nylander, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and Tavares would be incredible.
He would be the perfect piece to this team and would be an unbelievable fit, as I’m sure he’d love the pressure of trying to win a championship in hockey’s biggest market.