The way he plays.
He's all effort.
His work ethic is comparable to Callahan's.
One could make a strong case that he's the most complete two-way center under the age of 25.
His offensive production is only going to increase as he continues to develop (he's only 23).
His defensive game is already Selke-caliber.
Do you guys fully understand the significance of this stat:
He lead the entire league in takeaways while registering TWO penalty minutes (the only penalty was a minor for "playing with a broken stick."
Think about that.
That means that he's constantly stick on stick, leaning on players, lifting other player's sticks, intercepting passes, etc and he wasn't called for a single hooking, slashing, holding, roughing penalty all season long.
That's probably never been done before in the history of the league, to lead the league in takeaways and not have a single obstruction penalty all season?!
The guy is all heart when he's on the ice. I don't care if he's greedy in his negotiations or holds out because the Avs didn't want to pay him what he deserved when the rest of his teammates got pretty big long-term deals before producing as much as he did and doing as much for the team as he did.
Just watching him on the ice makes me believe he's a leader.
He's a complete three-zone player. He's incredibly smart. He reads plays and breaks up opposing plays more than anyone in the league. He has great vision, has slightly above average footspeed, has a very heavy shot, and very quick hands.
He's constantly on top of the puck. He must be incredibly annoying to play against. His effort to get the puck back once his team has lost it is nothing short of relentless.
He's basically a younger Callahan with much better hands, a much smarter hockey IQ, and a bigger, stronger body.
The best comparable is probably a mix between Patrice Bergeron (in his two-way play, but I think O'Reilly has a higher offensive ceiling) and Pavel Datsyuk (defensively and with his stick-work, not offensively).
For me, ROR is choice #1.
My priorities for the #1C position would be:
1. ROR
2. Thornton
3. Stastny
4. Spezza
5. Kadri
I really don't want to start the season with Stepan as our #1C. He's a great 2C, but he's not consistent enough, strong enough, or fast enough to be a 1C, and he doesn't threaten defenders with his shot. They know he's all pass, all the time. He's a very one-dimensional center, offensively. I love Stepan as a player and I think he's a winner, and love the familiarity with McDonagh. But we need him playing behind a legit 1C if we want to get back to the SCF.
Brassard is a solid 2C, and would be a fantastic 3C. Probably one of the best 3C's in the league. The only thing that really matters is that the Pouliot-Brassard-Zuccarello line has found great chemistry. That makes them a legitimate top-6 line, production-wise, but in terms of match-ups, that can't be our #1 line against other teams' top players. Part of the reason that line performed so well is because they weren't our top line. They got more favorable matchups. And Zuccarello is the key to that line. But Brassard is an important cog in the wheel as well and if that's our 3rd line, we're in great shape.
We need a legitimate 1st line center.
If Ryan O'Reilly can be had for Marc Staal, we have to do it, despite how much I love watching Staal in Rangers blue. He's been a huge part of our turnaround and the creation of our identity during the two most successful seasons in the last 20 years. But we can afford to lose him if it helps us fill the 1C void. It's easier to find a 2nd-pair D than a 1C, let alone a 23 year old 1C just scratching the surface of his prime potential.
Get ROR to Broadway!
