Confirmed with Link: Leafs have acquired Ryan O’Reilly, Noel Acciari & Josh Pillar in a three-team trade with STL and MIN

[Lightsol]

Give him a couple of weeks and Acciari will dial it back too. Seems to always happen with whatever physical player the Leafs bring in. They come out the gate playing with good physicality and edge and then slowly it gets neutered from their game.

That's because for the last 10 years or so, after the initial acclimation period, any player playing for the Leafs that plays this way becomes a major penalty magnet until they stop playing physical. Players who've been here for a bit after playing somewhere else have noticed it.

 

[81Leafs50]

LEAFS did good. Great trade. Leafs added two guys who are assholes on the ice and hard to play against.

WOW OMG I still cant believe Dubas was able to pull this off.

Leafs still have enough cap to activate Murray and still have $1.3M in usable cap space.

 

[81Leafs50]

its clear that the Leafs are keeping 2nd line LW open for Knies. O'Reilly will be a C long term.

Bunting-Matthews-Nylander
Knies-Tavares-Marner
Jarnkrok-O'Reilly-Kerfoot
Acciari-Kampf-Engvall
Extras: ZAR

Leafs saw the price for Kane and Meier were too crazy and were able to make this trade now and did not hesitate. Good for them.

 

[SoftDumpNtheCorner88]

That's because for the last 10 years or so, after the initial acclimation period, any player playing for the Leafs that plays this way becomes a major penalty magnet until they stop playing physical. Players who've been here for a bit after playing somewhere else have noticed it.

Nick Ritchie is a good example, say what you will about the guy, he didnt take advantage of his opportunity here but it always seemed like he'd be called anytime he tried to play physical and gave up

 

[Puckstuff]

its clear that the Leafs are keeping 2nd line LW open for Knies. O'Reilly will be a C long term.

Bunting-Matthews-Nylander
Knies-Tavares-Marner
Jarnkrok-O'Reilly-Kerfoot
Acciari-Kampf-Engvall
Extras: ZAR

Leafs saw the price for Kane and Meier were too crazy and were able to make this trade now and did not hesitate. Good for them.

This, this this. Beautiful lines.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

This is the greatest trade ever. Such an underpayment too. Only 4 picks and two prospects. For a middle six player.

Reminds me so much of the Foligno trade in so many ways: captain, injured, middle six player, declining vet on the wrong side of 30, three way trade with retention.

Hard to believe the same GM could mastermind such lopsided trades twice.

 

[DarkKnight]

TORONTO -- Ryan O'Reilly had just discovered he'd been traded from the St. Louis Blues to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday when he sent a text to his dad, Brian, back in Ontario.

"What if I help bring a Stanley Cup to Toronto?" the text from the 32-year-old forward said. "Can you imagine?"

"I texted back and said, 'That's the right attitude to have,'" Brian said. "I mean, like Ryan said, can you imagine?"

Love it! This guy doesn’t give a shit about handshakes.

 

[Zur En Arrh]

I'm not holding my breath. Dubas seems allergic to messing with whatever the current roster is any given TDL. I guess he doesn't want to mess up team chemistry or depth during the season but sometimes you've gotta let go of your favourites to give the rest of the team the best chance possible.

Though I think I've defeated my own argument. Going through the past 5 Cup winners and the only real example of this is Colorado trading Jost for Sturm midseason, which ended up not mattering all that much. Still though, I'd prefer it if the Leafs could parlay Kerfoot and Holl into an obvious upgrade. And though it's another league but in the same city, the Raptors traded Valančiūnas for a clear upgrade in Gasol and look how that turned out.

The difference there was gasol was a rental and val wasnt. Kerfot and holl are both ufa. Essentially we would have to find a team who has a player with term they don't want to pay after next season and they want ufas that match salary. Kind of hard to come by. There is zero incentive for a team to trade is a ufa to be for our ufas to be and have the player they're sending be better unless we add assests.

I think it's safe to assume kerfot and holl are here for the run. It just doesent make sense to trade them to a team trying to win and no team is going to do what i mentioned above

 

[Lightsol]

Nick Ritchie is a good example, say what you will about the guy, he didnt take advantage of his opportunity here but it always seemed like he'd be called anytime he tried to play physical and gave up

I always think of Tim Gleason's interview after he played in Toronto a few weeks after arriving from Carolina, mentioning how stunned he was that plays he'd routinely get away with in Carolina would be immediately called in Toronto, and how it forced him to police his own game and tone down the physicality to avoid it. I believe Muzzin mentioned something similar shortly after arriving.

 

[Maple Leaf]

ye

 

[Primary Assist]

Man what a mistake it was to wear my custom, handmade Stetson hat worth hundreds of dollars to the game tonight. Thanks a lot Ryan

 

[TMLeafer]

Should have signed him to an extension before his first game! (Lou style)

 

[leafsfan5]

So it appears 40 games where he had the 4th worst luck in the NHL wasn't an indication of his abilities

 

[Stephen]

Should have signed him to an extension before his first game! (Lou style)

We gotta keep him and Acciari. Justifies the trade assets that were given up and I think you can plug and play Marlies around a guy like Acciari on the lower lines and this guy is going to drag them into a fight.

ROR-Tavares-Marner could be a very special identity line for us.

 

[Petrus]

Even if you were unhappy (as I was) about the assets given up, we can all be happy as the trade so far is looking great. We could still use another Dman methinks. But ROR is exactly what this team needed.

 

[WillyC]

First time ROR ever scored more than 1 goal in that building… he wants this bad for Toronto and he’s gonna move the needle in the playoffs.

 

[Zur En Arrh]

Even if you were unhappy (as I was) about the assets given up, we can all be happy as the trade so far is looking great. We could still use another Dman methinks. But ROR is exactly what this team needed.

what of those assets we gave up are going to help us in the next five years? What of those assets could of been used to get a player of ROR quality?

 

[DarkKnight]

I took a lot of flack when I railed against Dubas saying he wanted to see what the Marlies had to offer first, primarily because it’s down to warm bodies there and we’re trying to win. I think people can see now with an Acciari, what a difference a real player can make in the supporting cast, as opposed to vanilla filler that looks serviceable. I’m glad Dubas was blowing smoke, this is what you need if you’re serious about winning a Cup.

 

[Petrus]

what of those assets we gave up are going to help us in the next five years? What of those assets could of been used to get a player of ROR quality?

We gave up a lot and it hurts the future.

However, Those pics are highly unlikely to yield anywhere near a Matthews, Marner or a Nylander level player.

We should invest in our core now while they are in their prime. And if it fails we can recoup the pics buy selling parts of the core.

 

[RunItBackAgain]

what of those assets we gave up are going to help us in the next five years? What of those assets could of been used to get a player of ROR quality?

We drafted Knies less than 2 years ago.

These were good assets we gave up but we got back a lot and if we can win the show OR extent ROR it's a straight up coup.

If we can only extend Acciari and we win maybe one round it cost quite a bit imo.

And if we win nothing and both leave we'll be tracking those picks for years and never hear the end of it...

 

[deprw]

We drafted Knies less than 2 years ago.

These were good assets we gave up but we got back a lot and if we can win the show OR extent ROR it's a straight up coup.

If we can only extend Acciari and we win maybe one round it cost quite a bit imo.

And if we win nothing and both leave we'll be tracking those picks for years and never hear the end of it...

If we don't do this trade and win our first round matchup and wind up losing second round to Boston by one goal in game seven. We never hear end of it that Dubas wasn't willing to bolster up the roster. It goes both ways, but I see those risks here, because this can be Foligno situation all over again. Though our window is open next two years and our division and conference are hard to crack, so we had to do something. I think that in the end ROR was the right move with all the intangibles he brings us and Acciari is added bonus.

We are heading to some kind of retool in the future and that will be determined by this season and next. Those futures would be nice, but we have healthy pool of prospects and roster is still young enough. I'd rather win now than put all my hope to this picks turning up as a difference makers for cup run of 2026-27.

 

[RunItBackAgain]

If we don't do this trade and win our first round matchup and wind up losing second round to Boston by one goal in game seven. We never hear end of it that Dubas wasn't willing to bolster up the roster. It goes both ways, but I see those risks here, because this can be Foligno situation all over again. Though our window is open next two years and our division and conference are hard to crack, so we had to do something. I think that in the end ROR was the right move with all the intangibles he brings us and Acciari is added bonus.

We are heading to some kind of retool in the future and that will be determined by this season and next. Those futures would be nice, but we have healthy pool of prospects and roster is still young enough. I'd rather win now than put all my hope to this picks turning up as a difference makers for cup run of 2026-27.

For sure, I like the trade and fully support it and that's a good point about people whining no matter what.

I guess the only way out is to win.

 

[sittler rules!!!]

Not to moving Knies. He represents another deadline acquisition. Sandin, if he goes out the door for a young defenseman I am okay with.

Substitute Robertson for Knies

 

[crump]

Not to moving Knies. He represents another deadline acquisition. Sandin, if he goes out the door for a young defenseman I am okay with.

I agree keep Knies, but not because I expect him to jump into an NHL playoff lineup after 2 or 3 regular season games. Knies will be coming from lining up against Danny Dzhaniyev (5’4” 145 pounds) in college hockey to guys like Kucherov, Hedman and Point.

Knies will be more important next year and onwards when we start losing players like Bunting if we can’t afford them. Nylander might have to be traded, so we need the next crop of young prospects to fill in the top 6. Matthews and Marner are going to get paid.

 

[ToneDog]

I took a lot of flack when I railed against Dubas saying he wanted to see what the Marlies had to offer first, primarily because it’s down to warm bodies there and we’re trying to win. I think people can see now with an Acciari, what a difference a real player can make in the supporting cast, as opposed to vanilla filler that looks serviceable. I’m glad Dubas was blowing smoke, this is what you need if you’re serious about winning a Cup.

So today I heard they wanted Acciari but ran out of cap space after signing Jarnkrok. Just goes to show Dubas does not have a clue.