This summer would be busy enough for Colorado Avalanche forward Ryan O’Reilly based on contract negotiations alone, yet the Denver Post’s Adrian Dater also reports that he recently underwent successful shoulder surgery.
It’s unclear when, exactly, the two-way forward went under the knife, but the Avalanche expect him to be ready for training camp (although one can only speculate regarding whether he’ll be in training camp with Colorado or a different NHL team).
Dater believes that the 23-year-old’s latest shoulder issues could be related to the odd injury he suffered after celebrating a goal in January. Here’s video of that moment, even if it is unlikely to be very telling:
It will be interesting to see if another team sends an offer sheet his way, and if not, what kind of salary arbitration reward he will receive this summer. Whatever the case may be, O’Reilly would be wise to focus on the rehab process.