Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving Tried to Retain the veteran forward and dismissed any notion of a locker-room issue
When free agency opened up at noon E.T. on July 1, Ryan O’Reilly chose to sign a four-year, $18 million contract with the Nashville Predators.
In the aftermath of the signing, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that the Maple Leafs tried to retain O’Reilly based on money and term but chose head to Music City anyway.
The tweet left Leafs fans open to speculate why the veteran who had seemingly enjoyed his time in Toronto would choose to leave.
During his media availability with reporters on Monday, Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving dismissed any notion that O’Reilly chose to leave because of the locker room in Toronto.
“Ryan loved playing in Toronto. Loved our players. Loved our dressing room. I've heard (rumors) about the dressing room. He loved these guys,” Treliving said. “Sometimes when you're from this area, there's a lot to it. We wish him well.”
The Maple Leafs acquired Ryan O’Reilly, who is from Clinton, Ontario, in a three-team trade with the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild that saw Noel Acciari also join the Leafs. In exchange for O’Reilly, the Leafs sent forwards Mikhail Abramov and Adam Gaudette, a 2023 first-round draft pick, Ottawa’s 2023 third-round selection and the Leafs’ 2024 second-round choice to St. Louis.
Acciari, like O’Reilly departed in free agency, signing a three-year, $6 million deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
O’Reilly had four goals and seven assists in 13 regular-season games for the Maple Leafs. In the playoffs, the 32-year-old scored three goals and added six assists in 11 playoff games.
The Maple Leafs have replaced the departed with a plethora of players over the course of the last few days.
On Saturday, the Leafs signed intimidating enforcer Ryan Reaves to a three-year, $4.35 million contract. He followed that up with the signing of offensive defenseman John Klingberg to a one-year, $4.15 million deal.
Acknowledging after Saturday that the Leafs needed to address some secondary scoring that departed in free agency, Treliving signed forward Tyler Bertuzzi to a one-year $5.5 million deal. He also added 20-goal scorers Max Domi, signing the forward to a one-year, $3 million deal.
Adding to that, the Leafs signed forward Dylan Gambrell to a one-year deal at the NHL minimum $775,000.
The 26-year-old Washington native was limited to four goals and six assists in 60 games with the Ottawa Senators last season.
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