Oilers commerce thirty second decide, choose London Knights ahead Sam O’Reilly

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The primary spherical of the 2024 NHL Draft at The Sphere in Las Vegas was a snug proposition for Edmonton Oilers followers. The house group had lengthy since traded away its first-round decide, with a protracted wait till decide No. 64 on Saturday morning and an excellent longer wait till decide No. 160 and extra after that.

Every thing modified on the finish of the annual extravaganza when the decide that initially belonged to the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers discovered its solution to Edmonton. That got here through the Philadelphia Flyers, who acquired them and different property within the commerce of Claude Giroux to Florida on the commerce deadline in 2022. They went on Friday night time to the Oilers in trade for his or her first-round decide in both 2025 or 2026, with phrases as follows:

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So the Oilers have been on their manner out, and the highest executives (CEO Jeff Jackson, coach Chris Knoblauch, and director of scouting Rick Bracey) have been on stage. The membership introduced the choice of Sam O’Reilly, a striker who performed for the London Knights, champion of the Ontario Hockey League.

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O’Reilly, who just lately switched from defence to assault, is claimed to be able to enjoying centre or wing, making him a flexible hockey participant. He’s a good 6-foot-1-incher and weighs 186 kilos. He turned 18 on March 30, which places him in the midst of the category by age. Oh yeah, he’s from the identical program that produced Edmonton’s earlier first-round picks. Sam Gunner And Evan Bokhard.

As an OHL rookie in 2023-24, O’Reilly put up first rate numbers in 68 full video games with 20-36-56, +32. He then added 5-7-12, +2 in 16 playoff video games, adopted by 1-3-4, +2 in 4 Memorial Cup video games. The Knights reached the ultimate however misplaced 4-3 to the Saginaw Spirit on a purpose within the sixtieth minute.

Elite prospects The next mini-scouting report offers:

The identical supply lists the next participant score throughout totally different scouting providers:

He was ranked No. 1 within the second spherical, peaking within the first spherical the place he was really chosen. The best rating of twenty fourth by NHL Central Scouting refers to North American skaters particularly; He was really the twenty fourth participant chosen from a North American-based program, with 8 different gamers within the first spherical having performed in Europe.

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It ought to be famous that the popular order for many individuals is Consensus Ratings to TSN quantityBob Mackenzie, nailed it at #32. And that is from that supply:

A “relentless defensive middle” with a “limitless work fee” and first rate numbers whose ice play compares to Phillip Danault’s is not the worst place to begin guard.

Different insights

Brooke Ottenlongtime OHL prospects skilled and Scouting Director L McCain Hockey:

• What do Sam O’Reilly’s oil staff get? A sort of retracement of a two-way place. Among the best defensive forwards within the draft. Scott Laughton is a low ceiling prospect. However his offensive ceiling might be increased if he can proceed to enhance. He deserves a primary spherical decide.

Stephen Ellisa possible analyst for Day by day confrontation:

• Sam O’Reilly is a good decide for the Oilers. Nice participant. A great winger and I feel he has numerous expertise. Prime six potential gamers He nonetheless has an opportunity to enhance.

Bruce Kerlock to Oilers Nation He gave himself heat reward:

• I like this alternative. It is going to additionally set the fireplace in. [London co-owner, President and head coach Dale] There are additionally rumors about Hunter shifting to EDM. O’Reilly is already an expert participant. He works arduous in all three areas. He has a powerful construct. He is a great participant and has a really sturdy shot. He’ll most likely be a winger on the skilled stage. He’s a really sturdy middle within the NHL. He instantly jumps forward of each different ahead within the group. He is already an important defensive ahead and I feel his attacking potential will actually come when he will get extra confidence. He was a defensive midfielder in his youthful days.
  

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David St. Louis to Elite prospects And suggests:

• Yearly there’s a participant in London who will get caught behind the older abilities and doesn’t get many possibilities to attain. This yr, it’s Sam O’Reilly. It is going to get away subsequent yr. It is nearly a assure.

Jonathan Willisa longtime and former hockey author hockey worship Colleague, explains:

• TIt is simple to love the O’Reilly report in that He brings lots moreover prime offensive numbersThese numbers are the query, however his 5v5/SH totals have been actually good and he clearly did not get PP time. For good measure, this is O’Reilly’s non-special groups in comparison with Easton Cowan in London final yr.
  Cowan, 22-23: 68 factors, 14-26-40
  O’Reilly, 23-24: 68GP, 14-28-42
  It is arduous to disregard that final one!

To make clear, these are Cowan’s numbers from 2022-23 in comparison with O’Reilly’s from 2023-24. Each made the OHL’s second-team All-Rookie of their respective years. Chosen twenty eighth total by Toronto final yr, Cowan went on to have an unbelievable +1 season during which he received the Purple Tilson Trophy because the league’s finest participant and the Wayne Gretzky 99 Trophy because the league’s finest playoff participant, main London to the league title.

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It is no shock that O’Reilly performs second and even third fiddle behind Cowan and the standard deep London group; He logged numerous what he did as a rookie in a defense-first function which is actually promising.

For his half, Jackson, Edmonton’s chief hockey officer, defined the Oilers’ causes in an interview with SportsnetElliot Friedman.

“Our workers rated it a lot increased than the place it went,” Rick stated. [Pracey] We felt strongly that we had acquired a participant who match our mannequin. We have to begin working our pipeline. “We felt very comfy taking this step at present.”

In a subsequent query, Jackson addressed the state of affairs with Edmonton’s unrestricted free brokers: “Nothing is imminent. We’re speaking to them. Clearly we performed fairly late, so we’re just a little late. We have had good discussions with all of the gamers who’re free brokers.” “Now we have unrestricted free brokers on our group, and we’re optimistic that we’ll carry all of them again, that’s our hope.”

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