The Pittsburgh Penguins are in need of third line help and Ryan O'Reilly might be on the block.
It might be a fantasy land kind of move, but the Pittsburgh Penguins are in need of an improved third line center, and Ryan O’Reilly is rumored to be on the trade block.
If O’Reilly is truly on the move, do the Penguins have the space and trade capital for the St. Louis Blue captain?
The short answer is, yeah, they do. It may take a few maneuvers and parting ways with important pieces to the lineup, but there is a way to make this work.
O'Reilly is currently on the injured reserve, but could still be looked at as a huge trade piece for the Blue and the Penguins have every right to have interest.
Since O’Reilly makes $7.5 million against the salary cap, the Penguins would have to make a move to free up the space to afford this kind of deal.
Once that move is made, however, then general manager Ron Hextall can get down to business.
It’s pretty clear that the Penguins need some sort of boost to the third line center position, but it also doesn’t seem likely Jeff Carter will be finding a new home in the NHL.
Hextall and Mike Sullivan both like Carter and want to see him succeed in Pittsburgh.
If Carter is sticking around and O’Reilly is joining with the sole purpose of 3C, Sullivan will have to fully commit to utilizing Carter on the wing.
Are the Blues willing to part ways with their captain? It’s very possible; O’Reilly is in the final year of his contract and the team is in a strange situation.
The Blues haven’t been their usual selves this year and have a ton of money about to be put against the cap next season.
Moving O’Reilly out now rather than waiting for free agency means the Blues can earn some future assets in return.
What would the Penguins have to give away? Well, a pick or prospect is probably involved, but there are two key players that can make this move work.
Brian Dumoulin and Teddy Blueger; both are on the final years of their contracts and it isn’t exactly certain they’d be returning to Pittsburgh next year.
At $4.1 million, Dumoulin’s price tag covers a good chunk of the money move while Blueger slots in as a piece that the Blues can re-sign during the offseason as a depth center.
Not only would be Penguins gain a huge piece for their depth in O’Reilly, but they wouldn’t miss much of Blueger’s defensive ability.
O’Reilly is a former Selke Trophy winner and is constantly in the debate to win year after year.
The Penguins have the NHL caliber players to fill in for Dumoulin on the blue line and there are forward options to replace any other collateral that may come with a deal like this.
Is it a perfect deal for the Blue or Penguins? No, but the Penguins are in need of a new voice on the third line, and the Blues have their eyes set on a future that may not involve O’Reilly.
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