Maple Leafs ‘all in’, land O’Reilly in three-team trade

Feb 19, 2023 | Sports

Toronto Maple Leafs appear to be all in for the cup after acquiring captain Ryan O’Reilly and centre Noel Acciari from St. Louis Blues in a three-team trade.

In the late hours on Friday the team announced the acquisition of O’Reilly and Acciari in a deal involving St. Louis and the Minnesota Wild.

In addition to Acciari and O’Reilly the Leafs also received Wild prospect Josh Pillar as part of the transaction.

The Blues receive Leaf prospects Mikhail Abramov and Adam Gaudette. They will also get Toronto’s first-round pick in 2023, Ottawa’s third-round pick in 2023 and the Leafs’ second-round pick in 2024. The Wild received the Leafs’ fourth-round pick in 2025.

O’Reilly is in the final year of a seven-year contract and is owed US$7.5 million. As part of the trade the Leafs will only pick up 25 per cent of his remaining salary, with the Blues retaining 50 per cent and Minnesota retaining 25 per cent.

The Clinton, Ont., native has collected 19 points, 12 goals, seven assists, in 40 games with the Blues this season.

Leafs GM Kyle Dubas said he was someone who they have been looking at for a while even before he was sidelined with a broken foot.

Newly acquired centre Noel Acciari #52 of the Toronto Maple Leafs warms up before facing the Montreal Canadiens at the Scotiabank Arena on February 18, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images

Newly acquired centre Noel Acciari #52 of the Toronto Maple Leafs warms up before facing the Montreal Canadiens at the Scotiabank Arena on February 18, 2023 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images Photo credit: Getty images

“Obviously Ryan O’Reilly’s pedigree speaks for itself but his defensive prowess, his playoff performance, what he brings to our centre position and what he will bring to our team on and off the ice we thought was vital for trying to accomplish,” he said.

Head coach Sheldon Keefe said he heard about the trade late Friday night while driving his son back from his hockey game and couldn’t help but be excited.

“There are certain players you can say seem like a playoff guy and certain players who are playoff guys,” he said. “He’s one of the rare guys who has a higher points per game in the playoffs.”

O’Reilly is bringing in some playoff experience having 61 games under his belt. In 2019 he won a Stanley Cup with the Blues and received the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs.

Acciari is someone the Leafs know really well from playing in the same division since 2016. Leafs Captain John Tavares said he makes the deeper with the way he plays.

“He’s just made that competitive element and physical nature a real staple of his game, he said. “He also showed he can create offence and produce as well.”

There is still time before the trade deadline on March 3 and Dubas might not be done.

He said their always looking to improve the team and achieve that final goal, a goal that hasn’t changed since the beginning of the season.

“If you’re trying to win, you’re trying to win the Stanley Cup, anything short of that I think we’ll all be disappointed,” Dubas said.