Ryan O’Reilly: the Canadiens have gotten involved in the situation

Félix Forget
Ryan O’Reilly: the Canadiens have gotten involved in the situation
Credit: NHL.com

We've known for months that the habs are looking for help at center. The club has a well-established first-line center and depth (especially since the arrival of Phillip Danault), but the second-line center position continues to be a topic of discussion.

Oliver Kapanen has effectively been filling that role since the start of the season. And even though he's done well with 17 goals and 30 points in 56 games, it feels like he's been struggling over the last ten games or so.

In fact, he hasn't scored a single point in eight of those 10 games.

This has brought the topic of the second-line center back into the spotlight in the city… and according to Elliotte Friedman, who discussed all this onNHL Now, the habs have their eye on a center.

His name: Ryan O'Reilly.

This isn't the first time the veteran's name has been linked to the habs. After all, we're talking about a guy with a great track record who would clearly be a major improvement over Kapanen.

In 55 games this season, O'Reilly has 20 goals and 53 points. He plays very, very big hockey.

Remember that the 34-year-old veteran is in the third year of a four-year contract that pays him $4.5 million per year. He has been playing about 20 minutes per game since the start of the season, and we're also talking about a guy who excels at the face-off circle.

He's also a guy who has lifted the Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe Trophy.

Of course, we don't know if thePreds will want to trade him, or even if O'Reilly (who will decide his future) wants to leave. But with the club going nowhere and changes in management, who knows if the veteran won't want to go elsewhere to give himself a better chance at winning the Stanley Cup.

And we can imagine that the idea of playing center for Juraj Slafkovský and Ivan Demidov must be quite appealing, hehe.


Overtime

– Speaking of the second center position.

– The Canadiens are among the (many) teams represented in the press gallery for a game between the Lightning and the Sabres.

– Good point.

– Nikita Kucherov has beenunstoppable since January 1.

– Interesting.

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