Sounds like the Leafs are out of the running for O'Connor...Even Bob McKenzie failed to mention the leafs recently.
Oilers in play for O’Connor
Mark Spector MARCH 28, 2015, 9:10 AM
Boston University goalie Matt O’Connor will play at least one more game for Boston University, after his Terriers won a thrilling 3-2 overtime game over Yale on Friday to open the NCAA’s Northeast Regional.
If B.U. wins on Saturday, they’re on to the Frozen Four April 9-11 in Boston. That means the 6-foot-5, 204 pound unrestricted free agent — the hottest UFA on the college market this spring — can take his time choosing which National Hockey League team to sign with.
If B.U. loses Saturday against Minnesota-Duluth, expect an announcement on Wednesday or Thursday, so O’Connor can possibly burn a year of his two-year Entry Level deal by playing an NHL game before the end of the regular season.
Ottawa, Edmonton, the New York Rangers and Buffalo head the pack in teams vying to sign O’Connor, with Vancouver and Calgary also in the race. Nearly half the league has shown interest, but O’Connor is looking at organizational goalie coaches, and how many goaltending prospects already exist in the various organizations.
“Who’s the goalie coach? How much patience do they have to stay with a guy, and really develop him into a NHL goalie?” asks family advisor Reynolds (the NCAA forbids O’Connor to have an agent).
“The depth chart is important, but that can change. We will make our decision before July 1 and the draft, and the depth chart can change considerably after you sign.”
What Reynolds is saying is, he doesn’t expect a team not to improve its goaltending in the short-term. That’s not an issue in Ottawa or New York but certainly is in Buffalo and Edmonton, two teams looking for an NHL No. 1 next season. O’Connor, who will graduate with a Business degree this summer after only three seasons at B.U., will conduct some site visits, speaking with GMs and coaches, and trying to get a feel for the town. Edmonton came out with the prize won when defenceman Justin Schultz conducted one of these deals, though he has not lived up to billing as an offensive defenceman, to a large extent.
“Edmonton is one of the teams going to get serious consideration. There will be a cluster of teams,” Reynolds said. “He’s got lots of options.”
Handicapping the four cities, Buffalo needs goaltending, will get either Connor McDavid or O’Connor’s B.U. teammate Jack Eichel in the draft, and is close to home in Toronto; Ottawa has a strong history of developing goaltenders, though the arrival of Andrew Hammond may have created a reason for the 23-year-old O’Connor to look elsewhere; the only real prospect in Edmonton’s system is former Oil King Laurent Brossoit, and Ben Scrivens in under contract for one more year; the Rangers likely won’t be able to keep Cam Talbot past next season, when he becomes a UFA (Edmonton, desperate for help in net, will pitch draft picks and Slovak defenceman Martin Marincin at the 2015 draft for Talbot, we predict). Being Henrik Lundqvist’s caddy in NYC may not be a bad place for O’Connor to get his feet wet in the NHL, but King Henrik is signed for six more seasons past this one.
Our prediction: Buffalo has the inside track, then Edmonton, the Rangers and Ottawa. (Gut feeling: Don’t rule out Calgary. They’re not married to either Karri Ramo or Jonas Hiller, with Joni Ortio on the farm in Adirondack.)
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