Ryan O’Reilly reportedly pointed out three Leafs players who would never win the Cup

When we talk about the Toronto Maple Leafs, a few things come to mind.

For hockey fans in general, Auston Matthews is the first thing that comes to mind.

To score 69 goals in one season in today’s hockey is simply incredible.

On the other hand, the team’s playoff failure since 1967 is also very popular.

Well, it’s often the fans of the Leafs’ rival teams who don’t miss a single opportunity to point this out.

But players are also entitled to their opinion of the franchise, and Ryan O’Reilly doesn’t have a nice one.

Dan Powers, host of the Empty Netters podcast, mentioned something juicy on a recent episode.

Powers spoke to someone who knows O’Reilly well, and O’Reilly opened up about his (short) time in Toronto.

The versatile center reportedly went to see Leafs management and pointed the finger at three players on the roster who will never win the Stanley Cup.

You can hear him in the last section of the podcast episode.

We also note the presence of former Habs player Nate Thompson.

Him, him and him will never win anything and I don’t want to be here anymore. – Ryan O’Reilly

Let’s just say that the message was clear.

For a veteran like Ryan O’Reilly, who has already won the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues, as well as the Conn-Smythe Trophy, it speaks volumes.

The three players in question weren’t mentioned, and personally, it’s been on my mind ever since.

Who could they possibly be?

Moreover, it should be pointed out that O’Reilly has never made similar comments in the past.

With Toronto’s new head coach, Craig Berube, and a good line-up on paper, despite some weaknesses, the Leafs can still have a great season.

Matthews could even reach the 70-goal plateau.

But the big question will be whether the Leafs can make it far in the playoffs.

Berube could very well do a 180 with the club and help the team win more than one round in the spring dance.

And if we’re willing to push it, by adding a few missing pieces to the roster, we could even see the Leafs in the Stanley Cup Final, or even win top honors.

Imagine the chaos that would ensue if, in Berube’s first year at the helm of the Leafs, the club won top honours.