Going into the 2024 NHL Draft, it looked like the Edmonton Oilers would not be coming away with a high-end prospect this year. Having previously traded away their first-round selection to the Anaheim Ducks on March 6 in a deal that brought forward Adam Henrique to Edmonton, the Oilers weren’t set to make a pick until late in Round 2, at No. 64.
But as the first round was unfolding on June 28, Edmonton made a deal to acquire the final pick of Round 1, 32nd overall, from the Philadelphia Flyers for a conditional first-round selection in either 2025 or 2026. The Oilers then used that pick to draft Sam O’Reilly, a right wing who in 2023-24 scored 20 goals and added 38 assists with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).
Edmonton’s decision to draft the 6-foot-1 forward at No. 32 raised some eyebrows, as not everyone expected O’Reilly to go off the board so early. But the Oilers obviously had targeted the forward, valuing O’Reilly to the point that they were willing to part with a potentially higher draft pick in the future to acquire him.
Three months later, everyone else is seeing now what the Oilers saw then, as O’Reilly has looked very impressive thus far during training camp and the preseason.
The 18-year-old is one of only six players that have suited up on all three nights the Oilers have played this preseason. He’s survived the initial rounds of cuts and looks like he’ll get to play at least one more game, tomorrow night (Sept. 28) when Edmonton hosts the Seattle Kraken at Rogers Place.
O’Reilly Scored in First Game
O’Reilly set the tone for a terrific preseason in Edmonton’s first game, a 3-2 overtime victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday (Sept. 22), when he scored on just his second shift. The young winger took a pass from Cam Dineen at the Winnipeg blue line and burst in on net, quickly transitioning from backhand to forehand before beating Jets goalie Eric Comrie with a wrist shot at 3:23 of the opening period.
He has yet to pick up another point this preseason, but what is most impressive about O’Reilly’s play transcends statistics. For someone attending their first NHL training camp, O’Reilly has exhibited remarkable aptitude. The teenager plays a game rooted in fundamentals and looks more at home on the NHL ice than many older players with far greater experience at this level. He always seems to be in the right place.
O’Reilly Has Strong Two-Way Game
In Edmonton’s 6-1 loss to the Jets at Canada Life Centre on Wednesday (Sept. 25), O’Reilly fit right in playing on a checking line alongside veterans Connor Brown and Mattias Janmark. He took the most faceoffs on the Oilers, and logged the second most minutes five-on-five. While the final score in Winnipeg was rather unflattering to the outgunned Oilers, it wasn’t because of a poor performance by that trio.
Related: 5 Things to Know About Oilers’ First-Round Draft Pick Sam O’Reilly
O’Reilly displays tremendous potential as a two-way forward, evidenced by his smart, sound play in Edmonton’s zone, making good reads and safe clears. His defensive capabilities are clearly more advanced than many forwards his age, quite likely owing to the fact that he spent much of his minor hockey on the blue line before switching to forward three years ago.
Edmonton Has Taken Notice of O’Reilly
O’Reilly has made such an impression that the talk on Sports 1440 radio in Edmonton yesterday (Sept. 26) centered around whether the junior forward could actually start the 2024-25 regular season in the NHL.
“The more I watch him, I can see why the scouts made that trade to give away next year’s first-rounder for Sam O’Reilly, because there’s a lot to like about his young game,” Sports 1440 host Jason Gregor said.
Ultimately, Gregor said it wasn’t likely that O’Reilly would make Edmonton’s opening night roster. The Oilers have some depth at forward and their priority in 2024-25 is winning the Stanley Cup, not developing young players.
But in just one week, O’Reilly has already shown that, when his time comes, he belongs at this level. Considering it was just two years ago that he spent most of the season in Junior B with the London Nationals of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL), O’Reilly has made incredible strides. Imagine where he could be 12 months from now.
