The Edmonton Oilers pulled the trigger on a trade to get into the first round of last year's draft just to select Sam O'Reilly, who's now ranked as the team's second-best prospect.
At the last pick of the first round, the Oilers traded a conditional first-round draft pick in 2025 because they saw something in Sam O'Reilly. His play before he was drafted is impressive enough, but great play in the Young Stars Classic has bumped his stock even higher. OilersNation now ranked him the second best prospect on the team.
O'Reilly is a 6'1 right-shot centreman, which is an asset in and of itself. But, he also plays an impressively mature two-way game and was able to succeed in very limited minutes on a stacked London Knights team. When older players leave the team to give O'Reilly more opportunity, his stock as a prospect could really take another big leap if he succeeds.
In the Young Stars Classic, O'Reilly made a number of cerebral plays that really impressed scouts and prospect experts. O'Reilly actually played defence up until his age 16 season, and it shows in the way he plays center. He's always mindful of every player on the ice, where the open space is, and understands the value of every puck touch.
Oilers prospect expert Bruce Curlock claims that O'Reilly is a lock to become an NHL player solely based on his defensive prowess as a forward. Who knows? Maybe the Edmonton Oilers selected a mini Patrice Bergeron with Sam O'Reilly.
Source: Oilers Prospect Countdown #2: Sam O'Reilly
