The rumor surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs reacquiring Ryan O’Reilly sounds a lot like someone wanting to get back together with their ex following an unpleasant breakup - and it's just much of a terrible idea as that always is.
The Toronto Maple Leafs traded for O’Reilly at the 2023 trade deadline, hoping to boost their centre depth. For the most part, O’Reilly did all right. Despite getting hurt in the days leading up to the 2023 playoffs, O’Reilly gave the Leafs a bang for their buck. Putting up 11 points in 13 games.
In the postseason, O’Reilly delivered nine points in 11 games. That’s a crucial point as there were times when O’Reilly was the only guy scoring for the Leafs in the postseason. He gave the Leafs what they needed, despite yet another disappointing playoff exit.
With O’Reilly’s seeming success in Toronto, the idea was that he would stay and help the Leafs continue building a contender. Instead, O’Reilly bolted, signing a four-year deal with the Nashville Predators. Reportedly, O’Reilly’s departure had nothing to do with money. The Leafs were offering just as much or more than the Predators.
The issue lay with O’Reilly not wanting to be in the Toronto spotlight. He felt much more comfortable flying under the radar in Nashville. So, off to Nashville he went, much to the chagrin of Leafs fans. I recall the disappointment and apparent betrayal some fans manifested when O’Reilly skipped town.
So, bringing back O’Reilly now would be like trying to get your ex to get back together with you. Sure, there was chemistry before. But do you really want to get back together with a person who left you for someone else the first chance they had?
There Are Better Options for Toronto Maple Leafs than O’Reilly
The chatter about reacquiring Ryan O’Reilly is about the Leafs centre depth. Yes, it’s true. The Leafs are thin at centre, thanks in no part to the largely underwhelming performances from Max Domi and the lack of scoring that comes from Pontus Holmberg and David Kampf.
But the fact is that O’Reilly is 34 now. He’s nearly two years removed from his only stint in Toronto, and may be nothing more than a glorified third-line centre at this point. Sure, he might be a step up from Domi, but there’s no guarantee he can stay healthy at this point.
Plus, there’s a reason why O’Reilly left Toronto. So, why bring him back? O’Reilly didn’t want to play in Toronto so there’s no point in forcing the issue. The Leafs have a unique opportunity to trade for a younger player with a higher upside like Jake Evans.
The Leafs must think long-term at this point, and Ryan O’Reilly isn’t that. O’Reilly’s grit is great and all. But the Leafs cannot afford to waste more valuable resources on a player who didn’t want to stay in Toronto in the first place.
With about three weeks to go till the trade deadline, the Toronto Maple Leafs had better stay away from O’Reilly, unless the Preds are so desperate to dump his contract that they’ll ship O’Reilly for future considerations.