Rumor Mill: ROR to STL

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Another day, another rumor out there for Ryan O’Reilly. GM Jason Botterill told the media that many of the rumors out there were very creative and that the validity of most of them aren’t true. 

Still, it’s fun to discuss what potential returns the Sabres might get for O’Reilly, especially when free agency opens this Sunday at noon. 

Here is the latest rumor between the St. Louis Blues and the Sabres:

  • Ryan O’Reilly for Robert Thomas, Anton Andersson, 2019 1st round pick 

Robert Thomas has been playing in the OHL for the past few years with the London Knights and then the Hamilton Bulldogs. He played 49 games last year, scoring 75 points (24 goals,51 assists).

He was the Blues’ 1st round (20th overall pick) in 2017 and he’ll turn 19 on Monday.

Thomas is a young, solid prospect that offers a lot of potential. Many think he’d earn a spot as the third center by opening night. But right now, it’s all just potential.

So what about this other guy, Andersson?

He’s a big Swedish (yep, another Swede) defender that was drafted in the 7th round in 2017. 

Andersson’s biggest attribute is his size. He’s unlikely to be much help to Buffalo, but there is the off chance that he comes through and surprises everyone. That’s the reasoning behind him being a 7th round pick.

There was also chatter that Alexander Nylander and Vladimir Sobotka may be part of the deal, but we’ll have to wait and see. 

At first glance of this rumor, it seems like it might not be enough for O’Reilly. Learning a little more about Thomas and how good he may become helps, but even with a 1st round pick in the deal, Botterill should hopefully get a little more in return.

Kevin Freiheit
Kevin Freiheit
I founded Buffalo Hockey Central in 2008 and have poured hours and hours into this site. Luckily, we have a great team of writers and designers who have helped keep this up and running despite a ton of out-of-pocket costs. We do this because we enjoy it, and we're desperate to see the Sabres win the Cup someday, but they have to make the playoffs first.
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