TO TRADE OR NOT TO TRADE
I know there is a endless amount of posters saying they want ROR moved this summer. After his post-season rant while cleaning out his locker after yet another disappointing year, ROR made it clear he was down in the dumps and frustrated with the whole situation here in Sabreland.
Before we all jump the gun and run the guy out of town, it is also very important top realize just what he brings to the table every night. We have already said goodbye to Evander kane and ran him out of town, convinced he was the whole problem within the dressing room and a real "cancer". It does not appear the dressing room improved any after Kane's departure. I think we were led to believe and sold on a notion that moving Kane would fix all that was wrong within his team's locker room. Some are now saying the same about Ryan O'Reilly.
ROR led the league in faceoffs and wins.That in itself is a great achievement and something (don't laugh) that is vital and essential come playoff time. I know you are all laughing but I have a hunch this team just may be ready to make the jump and maybe somehow make it to the big dance next season. ROR would be a absolute stud in playoff hockey.
We ran Kane out of town and lets face it, he is a very good hockey player. He too is already proving a stud in playoff hockey (2 big goals last night in game one for SJ).. Now we are set to run another very good player out of town.ROR plays game in and game out against the other team's top line. He (and his linemates that usually include Okpsoso) get the honor of facing the other team's top forwards every night. While there are many reasons this team loses game after game, surprisingly the team constantly shuts down the other team's top players. That is directly due to ROR and linemates playing good, sound defensive hockey.
The Leafs lost to the B's last night because they had no one to shut down the Bruins big guns, yet when the Sabres play theB's, we have good success against them because ROR shuts down the top players from the B's (or any other team for that matter).
In the end, I wonder if we are not jumping too quick to judgement and running ROR out of town only because we are frustrated just like him, ironically enough. While the return would no doubt be substantial and very tempting, I also think we'd end up doing what we are doing about Evander Kane which of course is lamenting losing a very good hockey player. Is there really any answer in continually trading your best players? Maybe we are too quick to blame the wrong guys. jack does what he can while playing with average wingers and ROR (and linemates) are asked to play night after night against the top players in the NHL and do so with pride and skill, often with very good results.
Losing ROR would leave a huge whole down the middle. Who then goes against the top forwards for the other teams? Jack? A young and unproved Middlestat? If we find jack sometimes frustrated now imagine how he'd be having to line up night after night against the other team's top players?ROR performs a thankless job and does it very well. we would be, I think, crazy to trade him and force jack to play against the other team's top forwards.