As we move closer to the NHL trade deadline, Ryan O’Reilly once again finds himself as the focal point of speculation.
According to Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Sabres are showing interesting in the 23-year-old center.
Last July, the Avalanche and O’Reilly agreed on a two-year contract extension that comes with a $6 million cap hit, however he could become an unrestricted free agent by the end of the 2016 season.
In terms of trade rumors, you only have to go back to late-December to see when O’Reilly was last mentioned in such speculation, so this is nothing new. It’s also something to keep an eye on as we inch toward the March 2 deadline.
In 45 games with the Avalanche this season, O’Reilly has seven goals and 24 points.