Sam O’Reilly

June 2025 – O’Reilly had a good year with the London Knights. He scored 28 goals and 71 points in 62 OHL games and was easily the Knights’ fourth-best player. While fourth-best may not be what some fans want to hear, London is consistently a CHL powerhouse and has countless alums in the NHL. On a team with Easton Cowan (TOR), Sam Dickinson (SJS), and Denver Barkey (PHI), it will always be hard to be the best player as loaded as that. O’Reilly is one of the most responsible 200-foot players in junior hockey and should have little trouble translating his skillset to the NHL one day. While he may not have top-line upside, O’Reilly is about as sure of a bet to become a third-liner as there is. He constantly makes an impact whenever he is on the ice, and he is always engaged with the play. He will likely need another year in the OHL and then potentially a year in the AHL after that, but once he is ready, he will make an impact as a penalty killer and shutdown player. James Connelly

October 2024 – The Edmonton Oilers signed O’Reilly to a three-year entry-level contract. Mark Henry

June 2024 – With the final pick in the first round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the Oilers took O’Reilly 32nd overall. Pat Quinn

February 2024 – O’Reilly’s game flows through his processing. Offensively, he relies on his intelligence to find small pockets of space from which to operate and often plays as F3 on forechecks to respond to sequences rather than lead them with a board battle win. Defensively, he identifies threats earlier than most, anticipates passes, and picks them off, all while keeping a mental map of his surroundings. The puck skills won’t be a hallmark of his NHL game, but if the skating improves, the skill should translate. Hadi Kalakeche