O’Reilly brings the been-there factor
It’s been three weeks since the NHL trade deadline and, despite losing prized acquisition Ryan O’Reilly to injury, the Maple Leafs have held their own, making us believe this is the deepest playoff roster they’ll deploy in the last several years.
They haven’t exactly lit the league on fire with a record of 4-3-1 since the March 3 deadline, but most would agree the Leafs look more playoff-ready than any other team during the Brendan Shanaplan era.
So far, the trade deadline acquisitions have been solid contributors when called upon. They’ve mixed well with their Leafs teammates, who have welcomed the reinforcements with open arms as they look to conquer playoff demons. And yet, when it comes to real playoff experience and leadership, no one compares to the pedigree of O’Reilly.
O’Reilly last played on March 4 when he broke his left index finger. He’ is expected back before playoffs but, with just 12 games left to go in the regular season, his loss really stings. It’s not just for what he brings on the ice, but because of the lost opportunity to grow and bond with his new teammates. The team will have to trust O’Reilly and his leadership skills. And the former St. Louis Blues captain will need to take a leap of faith that his new teammates will respond to what he says and does. These things usually take time to develop. O’Reilly may feel like a college student cramming for final exams.
I wonder how far he is willing to push his leadership skills on a group that has notoriously underachieved in the spring. It takes a special kind of leader to grab their teammates by the collar and demand more from them.
In 1994, New York Rangers captain Mark Messier did that exact thing to a very important player for us during our Stanley Cup run. When Esa Tikkanen showed up for a morning practice in rough shape, Messier took it upon himself to take care of it.
Aside from his infamous stonefaced staredown, Messier had three ways to challenge teammates: physically, mentally and emotionally. It’s safe to say Tikkanen experienced all three that day.
Messier didn’t care that Tikkanen had been his teammate for four of his Stanley Cups in Edmonton. All he cared about was winning the next one and no one was going to derail it.
The response from Tikkanen that day was crystal clear: “Don’t worry, Mess, it won’t happen again. I’ll be better.” And he was.
That’s what great leaders do. They find a way to hold anyone and everyone accountable on and off the ice. A standard that must be reached with no compromise. It’s only then you get a chance to be a championship contender. That’s not to say Leafs captain John Tavares or assistants Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews and Morgan Rielly can’t grow into playoff leaders. But they haven’t shown they can get their team over the hump yet, while O’Reilly is a Stanley Cup champion and Conn Smythe Trophy winner. He’s battle-tested.
Will an unlikely leader emerge outside of the core group?
You have to love what Noel Acciari, Sam Lafferty and Luke Schenn have brought to this team. But it’s not a given they will have enough credibility to challenge William Nylander or anyone else to push harder.
Defenceman Jake McCabe has a great opportunity to be a leader. McCabe set the tone right away when he stepped up to fight Tyler Myers in Vancouver after he ran over Tavares. Yes, he’s a 29-year-old with zero career playoff games, but I can see his leadership presence growing expeditiously.
When scanning the roster for playoff experience, the biggest surprise is learning that O’ Reilly’s 64 career playoff games don’t lead the Leafs. That title belongs to 31-yearold Calle Järnkrok, who’s played the majority of his 75 career playoff games with the Nashville Predators. Could Järnkrok’s recent run on Matthews’ wing put him in a position to lead this spring?
The reality is no one can come close to offering what O’Reilly brings to the table. He’s very good in all facets and is known for his attention to detail on both sides of the puck. He plays a conscientious game — like Marner — that allows the offensive stars to do their thing.
O’Reilly was the calming influence for the Blues when things got tough in 2019. He had five goals and four assists in the seven-game Stanley Cup final against the Boston Bruins. He was vocal about patience and trusting the process throughout that 26-game playoff marathon, which tied for the longest of any Stanley Cup-winning team.
Above all, O’Reilly will need to bring the Leafs a conscience of what matters most this time of year: a relentless conviction to win.