NHL Trade Talk Podcast – Ep. 25 – Ryan O’Reilly Traded to Maple Leafs

In this episode, Jim and Brooke break down the trade between the St. Louis Blues and Toronto Maple Leafs that saw Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari go to the Maple Leafs. This was a big three-team trade that included the Minnesota Wild and it says a few things about all three teams. The Maple Leafs are going for it, having given up four draft picks to make this deal. The Blues are likely selling now, having moved three big pieces from their roster. The Wild are weaponizing their cap space this season and they could do more of these kinds of trades.

Is this a move that is going to pay off for Toronto and GM Kyle Dubas? They have next to no draft picks left to make other deals for big-name deadline names and if they aren’t done, they’ll need to move prospects or players off of their roster.

Are the Blues going in a different direction? Or, is there a chance that O’Reilly could rejoin the team this summer and sign an extension?

The Blues traded their captain, a useful center in exchange for a 2023 first-round pick, a 2024 second-round pick, a 2023 third-round pick, prospect Mikhail Abramov, and center Adam Gaudette. The Minnesota Wild were also involved in the deal, retaining 25 percent of O’Reilly’s contract for a 2025 fourth-round pick. There is a lot to unpack with this deal.