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Toronto Maple Leafs make trade for Blues forwards Ryan O’Rielly and Noel Acciari

TORONTO, Feb. 18, 2023 – Late last night, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced they they have acquired St. Louis Blues’ captain centre Ryan O’Reilly, and journeyman forward Noel Acciari in a three-team trade with the St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild.

In return, the Maple Leafs have traded forwards Mikhail Abramov and Adam Gaudette, along with Toronto’s first round selection in the 2023 NHL Draft, Ottawa’s third round selection in the 2023 NHL Draft and Toronto’s second round selection in the 2024 NHL Draft, while Minnesota receives Toronto’s fourth round selection in the 2025 NHL Draft.

The incredible thing is the Leafs are only on the hook for paying 25% of O’Rielly’s salary. St. Louis have agreed to retain 50% and Minnesota will retain 25% of O’Reilly’s salary as part of the trade in exchange for Toronto’s fourth rounder in 2025.

Ryan O-Rielly looking stylish headed for the crowd at the 2019 Stanley Cup parade in St. Louis, photo by Edward Dallas, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90778817

Blues’ captain and Stanley Cup-winning centre, O’Reilly, 32, has collected 19 points (12 goals, seven assists) in 40 games with the Blues this season. In 978 career regular season NHL games with the Blues, Buffalo Sabres and Colorado Avalanche, the Clinton, Ontario native has recorded 691 points (252 goals, 439 assists) while adding 56 points (22 goals, 34 assists) in 64 career Stanley Cup playoff games. In 2019, O’Reilly was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy after leading the Blues to a Stanley Cup championship.

O’Reilly has been nominated for the Selke Trophy as the NHL’s top defensive forward twice, capturing the award with St. Louis in 2018-19. He was also awarded the Lady Byng Trophy with Colorado in 2013-14 and has participated in the NHL All-Star game on three occasions (2016, 2019, 2020).

Ryan O’Rielly during his time with Colorado Avalanche, 2014. *photo by Lisa Gansky*, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37037338

Internationally, O’Reilly has represented Canada several times, including gold medal-winning efforts at the IIHF World Championships in 2015 and 2016 as well as the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

Ryan O’Rielly during his time with Buffalo Sabres, 2016. *photo by Lisa Gansky* CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48028471

O’Rielly brings leadership, skill, and grit, along with a defensive-minded presence to an already potent Leafs’ offense. He also provides added depth at centre for the run to the playoffs and for a playoff run. Arguably, bolstering this position is not the most pressing need for the Maple Leafs, and it is expected that more moves will be made ahead of the trade deadline.

Noel Acciari, when he was with the Boston Bruins in 2016, *photo by Lisa Gansky*, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=48111770

Noel Acciari, 31, joins the Maple Leafs after registering 18 points (10 goals, eight assists) in 54 games with St. Louis this year. Over the course of his eight-year NHL career with the Blues, Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins, the Johnston, Rhode Island native has collected 95 points (55 goals, 40 assists) in 361 regular season games and seven points in 54 playoff contests.

Acciari signed with the Bruins as a free agent prior to the 2015-16 season.

SOURCE Toronto Maple Leafs

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