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The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired forwards Ryan O'Reilly, Noel Acciari and Josh Pillar in a three-team trade on Friday that included the Leafs, the St. Louis Blues and the Minnesota Wild.
The Blues received a 2023 first-round pick, a 2024 second-round pick, the Ottawa Senators’ 2023 third-round draft pick and Toronto Maple Leafs forwards Mikhail Abramov and Adam Gaudette. The Leafs will retain 50% of O'Reilly's salary as part of the trade.
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According to Michael Russo of The Athletic, the Minnesota Wild have traded 21-year-old forward prospect Josh Pillar to the Maple Leafs for O’Reilly. They then retained 25 percent of O’Reilly’s remaining salary and traded him to Toronto for a 2025 fourth-round pick.
Ryan O’Reilly, 32, is currently in his 14th NHL season. In 978 career games, O'Reilly has 691 points from 252 goals and 439 assists. He won the 2019 Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues and the 2019 Conn Smythe Trophy for the MVP in the Stanley Cup playoffs. As the NHL's top defensive forward, he also won the Selke Trophy in the 2018-2019 season.
O’Reilly has 12 goals and 19 points in 40 games in the 2022-23 NHL season. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent by the end of the season, making him a guaranteed trade prospect for the Blues.
The blockbuster trade ahead of the March 3 trade deadline has left NHL Twitter buzzing. Here's how some fans reacted to the trade:
Noel Acciari is also an interesting pickup for the Leafs. The 31-year-old Rhode Island native has 10 goals and 18 points from 54 games with the Blues this season and will be an excellent addition to the Toronto Maple Leafs' rotation in the offense.
Toronto Maple Leafs are serious contenders for the Stanley Cup
With a 33-14-8 record, the Leafs are currently second in the Atlantic Division behind the Boston Bruins. The addition of veterans Ryan O'Reilly and Noel Acciari has strengthened the Leafs' top-9 offense. Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner are already in their prime form, and the Leafs will only look better with the addition of the former Blues' captain.
The Leafs gave up their first, second, third and fourth-round picks to acquire the two Blues forwards, indicating they are in a "win-now" mode. With their latest acquisitions, many fans believe that the Toronto Maple Leafs are now serious contenders to win the 2022-23 Stanley Cup.
What are your thoughts on the trade? Let us know in the comments section below!
