Recently drafted in the first round (32nd overall) at the 2024 NHL Draft is forward Sam O’Reilly. He has very quickly cemented his place as a top prospect within the Edmonton Oilers organization.
In The Oil Rig’s 2024 prospect rankings, O’Reilly has made his debut as the third best within the Oilers organization.
Who is Sam O’Reilly?
| Position | Handedness | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | R | 6’1” | 183 lbs |
O’Reilly’s career overview
Thus far in his career, O’Reilly might be considered a late bloomer. He only became an OHL regular this past season with the London Knights.
Prior to that, O’Reilly played with the Vaughan Knights U16 AAA team in 2021–22 before moving up to the London Nationals of the GOJHL for the 2022–23 season.
Near the end of that season, O’Reilly made his OHL debut, appearing in five games but recording zero points.
2023–24 is when he broke out in the OHL. As a rookie, he played in 68 games, recording 56 total points.
| Year | League | Team | GP | G | A | P | Playoff GP | Playoff G | Playoff A | Playoff P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | GTHL U16 | Vaughan Kings U16 AAA | 32 | 17 | 17 | 34 | – | – | – | – |
| 2022–23 | GOJHL | London Nationals | 35 | 26 | 37 | 63 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 11 |
| 2022–23 | OHL | London Knights | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023–24 | OHL | London Knights | 68 | 20 | 36 | 56 | 16 | 5 | 7 | 12 |
O’Reilly’s continual progression through the ranks and working his way up to a big role with a premier team in the OHL like the Knights is a good sign. He should be one of the most important players on that London team this upcoming season, where we will really get a chance to see what O’Reilly can do.
O’Reilly’s player profile
O’Reilly is best described as a versatile player. He can play any position, evidenced by him actually being a defender in his earlier days, as well as any forward position. He is attentive to all facets of the game, with and without the puck. And, his skillset is incredibly well-rounded as a result of it.
In post-draft interviews, O’Reilly’s competitiveness and effort were pointed out and praised, indicating he can be that spark plug type of player who is able to drive momentum. And since he is so versatile around the ice, that competitiveness is able to be put on display in countless ways.
O’Reilly strengths
Two-way play
Because O’Reilly played defence for many years growing up, he understands the position in a way most forwards do not. This is especially important for a young centre, as defensive play is one of the most common criticisms of players growing into NHL centres.
O’Reilly’s playstyle heavily features his two way prowess and defensive awareness in ways that stand out for a junior player. He instinctive knows where to be on the ice and does not often find himself lost in the defensive zone. And his hockey IQ, combined with his compete level, give him a level of safe aggressiveness in defensive pursuits that allow him to succeed.
Vision/passing
One standout part of O’Reilly’s offensive game is his vision and passing. He knows how to create plays and find teammates. According to the EliteProspects draft guide, he excels with quick touch passes that do not require time or space to make, indicating some underlying offensive intelligence.
The guide also alludes to him being able to connect with teammates on accurate lead passes.
The full scope of his passing game indicates he has incredible vision and a ton of untapped potential as a play creator.
Competitiveness
O’Reilly is an incredibly determined and competitive player. It’s what drew the Oilers to him. And this trait is something that will serve him well moving forward. You can’t teach competitiveness and drive the way that he shows it.
He is aggressive in his defensive pursuits, does not shy away from engaging physically, and goes all out whenever he possibly can. This competitiveness gives him a physical edge that will help his transition to the professional game. And the entirety of this gives O’Reilly a foundation to work from that places his floor much higher. He has an increased potential simply because of how he plays the game.
Areas of improvement
O’Reilly has the game without the puck under control. But, if he wants to become a high end NHL centre, he will need to find ways to develop his offensive game. His rookie season in the OHL was a good start, but he will need to build on that. According to Dobberhockey’s NHLe calculator, his 56 points in 68 OHL games only equates to 22 in an 82 game NHL season.
Working in his favour is being strong enough defensively to possibly still command an NHL role as a depth forward or penalty killer. But without building his offensive toolkit and skillset, his ceiling is extremely limited and he runs the risk of ending up with an NHL/AHL tweener status.
O’Reilly’s next steps
O’Reilly will most certainly play the upcoming season with the London Knights in the OHL. There could be an outside chance that he sees the nine-game trial for junior players but that is highly unlikely due to where he is at in his development and the Oilers’ forward depth not leaving a lot of room.
Projection with the Oilers
O’Reilly’s projection with the Oilers organization is extremely wide. He could find himself anywhere from AHL to NHL top-six forward. None of this will come to fruition for at least two to three seasons, after his junior career. If he can develop his offensive game, he has a great chance to become a middle-six forward and penalty killer in the NHL.
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