Oilers prospect Sam O'Reilly dialed in to push for a roster spot
Photo credit: NHL.com
Edmonton Oilers prospects Sam O'Reilly continues to show the coaching staff but he is ready to make the case for a roster spot once training camp is over.
During a media scrum, O'Reilly spoke with reporters giving his take to why head coach Chris Knoblauch continues to give him more looks and more games. O'Reilly is taking everything in he can including talking to older players, putting in the work and listening while learning.
Coach Knoblauch also spoke with reporters and has taken notice to the level of play that O'Reilly has shown and that he is not fading like many prospects normally do.
This is great news for the Oilers depth chart and management team as they crafted a trade at the draft to acquire O'Reilly as the 32nd overall pick in the first round having moved a conditional first round pick in 2025 or 2026 to acquire his services.
According to eliteprospects.com, the 18-year-old centre who stands at six foot one and 180 lbs is a relentless shutdown defensive centre who has a strength and physicality and always puts himself against his opponents. Last season with the London Knights, he played 68 games, scored twenty goals with 36 assists for 56 points and had 34 penalty minutes.
He went on to win the OHL championship with the Knights and went to the Memorial Cup where he and the Knights lost to the Saginaw Spirit.
If O'Reilly continues this play, it's likely that Knoblauch will give him an 8-game look at the beginning of the season as all NHL teams have that option for their rookies. If his play fades in any way the Oilers reserve the right to send him back to London and it will not burn a year of his entry level deal.
If he shows that he can handle the NHL and being effective player there is a possibility he could remain with the Oilers for the remainder of the year as a learning opportunity and give the team much needed youth as the Oilers are going into this year as the oldest NHL team as per average age.
There are tons of upside for the Oilers and for O'Reilly and it will come down to what Knoblauch wants to do for his long term development and for the Oilers in the present.
Source: Eliteprospects.com
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