No. 2: Ryan O’Reilly
I feel like there’s nobody higher on O’Reilly than me right now. If you look strictly at this offensive production, you’re not going to find someone as skilled as Meier, or Patrick Kane (spoiler alert: he’s No. 3 on this list), but his work-ethic and defensive abilities make him a great fit.
The seven-time 20-goal scorer can obviously find the back of the net, but the best part of his game is his hockey IQ and defensive ability at centre. If you watch him play, you’ll notice how dominant he is with his stick, forcing turnovers and being defensively sound.
He can help the penalty-kill, but at the same time can be a contributor on the Leafs second power-play unit. His unique skillset makes him a perfect player for any coach and Sheldon Keefe could play him on the second-line at wing, or at centre, if he wanted to move John Tavares to the side.
In 64 playoff games, O’Reilly has 56 points, so his game seems to improve in the biggest moments, most notably winning a Conn Smythe Trophy on-route to helping the St. Louis Blues win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history.
His stats haven’t been great this year, but a change of scenery could do O’Reilly well, as he looks to earn another big contract this offseason. He’s not as high on other people’s list, but I truly think this player would make the Toronto Maple Leafs a Stanley Cup favorite based on his unique skillset.