Blues get O'Reilly from Sabres in exchange for Berglund, 1st-rounder
The St. Louis Blues acquired centerman Ryan O'Reilly from the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday, the team announced.
Related: Sabres didn't have trade in place for O'Reilly at draft, says GM
Heading the Sabres' way in return is an excellent haul that includes a 2019 first-round pick, 2021 second-round pick, and forwards Tage Thompson, Patrik Berglund, and Vladimir Sobotka.
First round pick in 2019 is top-10 protected. #stlblues
— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) July 2, 2018
O'Reilly is due a $7.5-million signing bonus that Buffalo would've been on the hook for as of midnight Sunday, but with the trade completed before that deadline, St. Louis will be picking up the hefty price tag.
Rumors had been percolating for the last few weeks regarding O'Reilly and a move away from the Sabres. After another season wallowing in the NHL's basement, the Sabres have pulled the trigger to offload O'Reilly's lucrative contract that carries another five seasons at a cap hit of $7.5 million.
O'Reilly is the biggest name in the deal but the Sabres did get back two veteran centers who will slot into their lineup immediately. As well, they acquire an intriguing prospect in Tage Thompson, who spent last season split between St. Louis and the club's AHL affiliate.
As for O'Reilly, the Blues are getting one of the best two-way pivots in the league. He had 24 goals and 37 assists in 81 games last season to go along with a 60 percent success rate in the faceoff dots.