The Toronto Maple Leafs shook the hockey world late Friday night when they announced they had acquired Ryan O’Reilly in a three-team trade with the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild.
In addition to O’Reilly, the Leafs get 31-year-old forward Noel Acciari from St. Louis and 21-year-old prospect Josh Pillar from Minnesota.
In return, the Toronto team sends Adam Gaudette, Mikhail Abramov, first-round and third-round picks in 2023 (the one obtained from the Senators) as well as a second-round pick in 2024 to the Blues. The latter will retain 50% of the salary of O’Reilly, whose contract ends at the end of the current season.
For its part, the Wild will retain 25% of the attacker’s salary. In return, he receives a fourth-round pick from the Maple Leafs in 2025.
With this trade, Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas clearly announces his intentions for the next playoffs. O’Reilly, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Blues won the Stanley Cup in 2019, has 19 points in 40 games this season.