On the Buffalo Sabres and Ryan O’Reilly …
John Vogl of the Buffalo News: Ryan O’Reilly is at the World Championships and spoke with Darren Dreger.
“I want to change. I want to be in Buffalo. I love it there. Obviously, we’re getting the first pick, which will be huge, but, gosh, it’s a great city and I want to be there and I want to win. Yeah, I was just being honest, and I feel I need to do that more.”
O’Reilly has five years left on his deal at a $7.5 million cap hit. GM Jason Botterill said that there could be some changes to their core this offseason.
“I think I have a pretty good relationship with the GM,” O’Reilly said. “If something happens, it happens. That’s hockey. But I plan and I’m preparing to be in Buffalo in the same role and the same sort of thing.”
Chris Nichols of FRS Hockey: Darren Dreger was on WGR 550 radio yesterday and GM Botteril could move Ryan O’Reilly this offseason, or does he hold on to him.
“I think he has the time,” considered Dreger. “From a business perspective, he needs to get more out of O’Reilly. I think that that’s fair. But there’s going to be a considerable amount of interest. The message that I was given from the Buffalo Sabres was that yeah, they’d consider trading him. I mean, it’s in that category of you’re willing to talk about just about anyone. There’s a few that are obviously never going to be in play, or at least not in the foreseeable future. But if somebody made a pitch to Jason Botterill at the draft in Dallas and it made some sense and the pieces were close, then I think that he would consider a trade.”
Dreger said that when he was talking to O’Reilly for their ‘Dreger Cafe’ segment, he got the sense at Botteril and O’Reilly have already talked and that it’s “highly unlikely” that he’s dealt.
“But again, if a team comes up with the pieces that Botterill needs or a package that makes sense, then I suppose just about anyone is tradeable.”