<p><em>A note about the criteria of to be included in this countdown. The player must be 25 or younger when the season starts and he must have played less than 50 NHL games. As such, a player like Noah Philp is excluded because of his age. </em></p>
<p></p>
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<h2>Sam O&#8217;Reilly</h2>
<p><strong class="text-lg font-bold">Position: Center</strong><br />
<strong class="text-lg font-bold">Shoots: Right</strong><br />
<strong class="text-lg font-bold">Nationality: Canada</strong><br />
<strong class="text-lg font-bold">Date of Birth: March 30, 2006</strong><br />
<strong class="text-lg font-bold">Drafted: 1st Round, 2024</strong><br />
<strong class="text-lg font-bold">Height: 6&#8217;1″ / 185 cm</strong><br />
<strong class="text-lg font-bold">Weight: 186 lbs / 84 kg<br />
Ranking last year: N/A</strong></p>
<p>As Oiler fans settled in to watch the rest of the NHL select players in the first round of the 2024 draft, a weird thing happened: the Oilers decided they didn&#8217;t want to miss the party. They swapped a top 12 protected 2025 first-round pick to the Philadelphia Flyers for their 32nd pick in the first round of the 2024 draft, promptly selecting Sam O&#8217;Reilly from the London Knights of the OHL.</p>
<p>O&#8217;Reilly comes in attempting to fill a hole that has pervaded the Edmonton Oilers for years: the right shot-centre who can contribute on the score sheet. Many observers (people will know from my social media posts of my position) wondered why Ken Holland chose Dylan Holloway over Dawson Mercer in the 2020 draft. Mercer, with his size, position and handedness, would have filled that role.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, the Oilers new management team decided to avoid this situation again and invested heavily to select a player who was mostly ranked in the early part of the draft&#8217;s second round. O&#8217;Reilly, who has decent size at 6&#8217;1&#8243;, was playing defence as near as his U16 season before switching to centre. So it is impressive that in his rookie season in the OHL, O&#8217;Reilly was 20-36—56 in 68 games. It was even more impressive because his opportunities to score were suppressed on a deep London Knights team at forward. <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/07/09/will-oilers-first-round-pick-sam-oreilly-see-an-offensive-breakout-next-season/">That should clear up this season</a> with some players graduating and a couple of players like Easton Cowan and Denver Barkey trying to crack professional rosters. So, what do the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/06/30/meet-sam-oreilly-the-edmonton-oilers-latest-first-round-pick/">Oilers have in Sam O&#8217;Reilly</a>? Let&#8217;s have a peek at the video.</p>
<p>In thanks to his time spent as a blueliner, the part of O&#8217;Reilly&#8217;s game that is very well developed is his defence. He understands in-zone coverages and how to always play over top of the puck. While playing defense has likely given him a head start, he does play centre and is still very effective. Below is a clip of what you can expect from O&#8217;Reilly throughout his career.</p>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="O&#039;Reilly DZ Work" width="1424" height="801" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iN29KB5Cz0U?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>If there was one reason I have O&#8217;Reilly ranked this high, it&#8217;s clips like this. Of the twenty prospects in this countdown, I am most certain of O&#8217;Reilly and that&#8217;s because of his defensive game. He will be imminently reliable to not to get scored on. Coaches will love this element of his game. They will also love that he is a right-shot centre who wins faceoffs.</p>
<p>However, O&#8217;Reilly does bring some other skills. He is a very hard worker with no rest in his game during shifts. Here is an example of the motor.</p>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="O&#039;Reilly Compete" width="1424" height="801" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9h0LCNFl2dU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>He is also comfortable on the wall and relishes the challenges of turning over pucks or maintaining possession until he can get it to a teammate in a better position. Here are a couple of clips that illustrate this skill.</p>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="O&#039;Reilly Wallwork" width="1424" height="801" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XU8hlD2X_1E?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="O&#039;Reilly Forecheck and Vision" width="1424" height="801" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QijEIK74Hq0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>So, for my money, O&#8217;Reilly is almost a sure thing to play NHL games based on these skills. What will determine whether this pick turns into a great value is O&#8217;Reilly&#8217;s offence. Of the four OHL forwards taken in the first round this year, O&#8217;Reilly had the lowest points total. However, and it is a big however, Sam O&#8217;Reilly was the only rookie OHLer in the group.</p>
<p>Each of the other players had played a full season more in the OHL. O&#8217;Reilly, as a true rookie, had the third most points of all rookies in the OHL. So, it is a reasonable bet that O&#8217;Reilly can increase his point totals this season. Make no mistake, O&#8217;Reilly does have some skills. Watch this highlight from the Memorial Cup.</p>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="O&#039;Reilly Close Quarter Skills" width="1424" height="801" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7FOgGTY1Q_s?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>O&#8217;Reilly has some interesting vision skills. He anticipates where he wants to move the puck before receiving it. He also makes a crisp, accurate pass.</p>
<div class="jetpack-video-wrapper"><iframe loading="lazy" title="O&#039;Reilly Vision" width="1424" height="801" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7uDhFE6lvRQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<p>In all, Sam O&#8217;Reilly was a creative and inspired first-round pick. He almost assuredly plays NHL games because of his defensive prowess. However, the Oilers were sharp to note that O&#8217;Reilly&#8217;s offence might be better than it showed in his rookie season because of the limited opportunities he had to put up point totals. If his totals rise from his draft year to his draft plus one like his teammate Easton Cowan, the Oilers will have a serious two-way right-shot centre prospect for the first time in a very long time.</p>
<h1>Previous names in the countdown</h1>
<ul>
<li>20: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/08/14/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-20-nikita-yevseyev/">Nikita Yevseyev</a></li>
<li>19: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/08/16/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-19-bauer-berry/">Bauer Berry</a></li>
<li>18: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/08/17/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-18-albin-sundin/">Albin Sundin</a></li>
<li>17: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/08/21/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-17-brady-stonehouse/">Brady Stonehouse</a></li>
<li>16: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/08/23/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-16-william-nicholl/">William Nicholl</a></li>
<li>15: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/08/24/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-15-james-stefan/">James Stefan</a></li>
<li>14: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/08/26/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-14-dalyn-wakely/">Dalyn Wakely</a></li>
<li>13: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/08/28/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-13-luca-munzenberger/">Luca Munzenberger</a></li>
<li>12: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/08/30/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-12-shane-lachance/">Shane Lachance</a></li>
<li>11: <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2024/08/31/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-11-jayden-grubbe/">Jayden Grubbe</a></li>
<li>10: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/09/01/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-10-matvei-petrov/">Matvei Petrov</a></li>
<li>9: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/09/04/edmonton-oilers-propsect-countdown-9-eemil-vinni/">Eemil Vinni</a></li>
<li>8: <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2024/09/06/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-8-maxim-beryozkin/">Maxim Beryozkin</a></li>
<li>7: <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2024/09/07/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-7-olivier-rodrigue/">Olivier Rodrigue</a></li>
<li>6: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-6-max-wanner">Max Wanner</a></li>
<li>5: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/09/12/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-5-beau-akey/">Beau Akey</a></li>
<li>4: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-4-raphael-lavoie">Raphael Lavoie</a></li>
<li>3: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/09/20/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-3-roby-jarventie/">Roby Jarventie</a></li>
</ul>
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<em>A note about the criteria of to be included in this countdown. The player must be 25 or younger when the season starts and he must have played less than 50 NHL games. As such, a player like Noah Philp is excluded because of his age. </em>


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<h2>Sam O'Reilly</h2>
<strong class="text-lg font-bold">Position: Center</strong>
<strong class="text-lg font-bold">Shoots: Right</strong>
<strong class="text-lg font-bold">Nationality: Canada</strong>
<strong class="text-lg font-bold">Date of Birth: March 30, 2006</strong>
<strong class="text-lg font-bold">Drafted: 1st Round, 2024</strong>
<strong class="text-lg font-bold">Height: 6'1″ / 185 cm</strong>
<strong class="text-lg font-bold">Weight: 186 lbs / 84 kg
Ranking last year: N/A</strong>

As Oiler fans settled in to watch the rest of the NHL select players in the first round of the 2024 draft, a weird thing happened: the Oilers decided they didn't want to miss the party. They swapped a top 12 protected 2025 first-round pick to the Philadelphia Flyers for their 32nd pick in the first round of the 2024 draft, promptly selecting Sam O'Reilly from the London Knights of the OHL.

O'Reilly comes in attempting to fill a hole that has pervaded the Edmonton Oilers for years: the right shot-centre who can contribute on the score sheet. Many observers (people will know from my social media posts of my position) wondered why Ken Holland chose Dylan Holloway over Dawson Mercer in the 2020 draft. Mercer, with his size, position and handedness, would have filled that role.

Nevertheless, the Oilers new management team decided to avoid this situation again and invested heavily to select a player who was mostly ranked in the early part of the draft's second round. O'Reilly, who has decent size at 6'1", was playing defence as near as his U16 season before switching to centre. So it is impressive that in his rookie season in the OHL, O'Reilly was 20-36—56 in 68 games. It was even more impressive because his opportunities to score were suppressed on a deep London Knights team at forward. <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/07/09/will-oilers-first-round-pick-sam-oreilly-see-an-offensive-breakout-next-season/">That should clear up this season</a> with some players graduating and a couple of players like Easton Cowan and Denver Barkey trying to crack professional rosters. So, what do the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/06/30/meet-sam-oreilly-the-edmonton-oilers-latest-first-round-pick/">Oilers have in Sam O'Reilly</a>? Let's have a peek at the video.

In thanks to his time spent as a blueliner, the part of O'Reilly's game that is very well developed is his defence. He understands in-zone coverages and how to always play over top of the puck. While playing defense has likely given him a head start, he does play centre and is still very effective. Below is a clip of what you can expect from O'Reilly throughout his career.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN29KB5Cz0U

If there was one reason I have O'Reilly ranked this high, it's clips like this. Of the twenty prospects in this countdown, I am most certain of O'Reilly and that's because of his defensive game. He will be imminently reliable to not to get scored on. Coaches will love this element of his game. They will also love that he is a right-shot centre who wins faceoffs.

However, O'Reilly does bring some other skills. He is a very hard worker with no rest in his game during shifts. Here is an example of the motor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9h0LCNFl2dU

He is also comfortable on the wall and relishes the challenges of turning over pucks or maintaining possession until he can get it to a teammate in a better position. Here are a couple of clips that illustrate this skill.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU8hlD2X_1E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QijEIK74Hq0

So, for my money, O'Reilly is almost a sure thing to play NHL games based on these skills. What will determine whether this pick turns into a great value is O'Reilly's offence. Of the four OHL forwards taken in the first round this year, O'Reilly had the lowest points total. However, and it is a big however, Sam O'Reilly was the only rookie OHLer in the group.

Each of the other players had played a full season more in the OHL. O'Reilly, as a true rookie, had the third most points of all rookies in the OHL. So, it is a reasonable bet that O'Reilly can increase his point totals this season. Make no mistake, O'Reilly does have some skills. Watch this highlight from the Memorial Cup.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FOgGTY1Q_s

O'Reilly has some interesting vision skills. He anticipates where he wants to move the puck before receiving it. He also makes a crisp, accurate pass.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uDhFE6lvRQ

In all, Sam O'Reilly was a creative and inspired first-round pick. He almost assuredly plays NHL games because of his defensive prowess. However, the Oilers were sharp to note that O'Reilly's offence might be better than it showed in his rookie season because of the limited opportunities he had to put up point totals. If his totals rise from his draft year to his draft plus one like his teammate Easton Cowan, the Oilers will have a serious two-way right-shot centre prospect for the first time in a very long time.
<h1>Previous names in the countdown</h1>
<ul>
 	<li>20: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/08/14/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-20-nikita-yevseyev/">Nikita Yevseyev</a></li>
 	<li>19: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/08/16/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-19-bauer-berry/">Bauer Berry</a></li>
 	<li>18: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/08/17/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-18-albin-sundin/">Albin Sundin</a></li>
 	<li>17: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/08/21/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-17-brady-stonehouse/">Brady Stonehouse</a></li>
 	<li>16: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/08/23/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-16-william-nicholl/">William Nicholl</a></li>
 	<li>15: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/08/24/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-15-james-stefan/">James Stefan</a></li>
 	<li>14: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/08/26/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-14-dalyn-wakely/">Dalyn Wakely</a></li>
 	<li>13: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/08/28/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-13-luca-munzenberger/">Luca Munzenberger</a></li>
 	<li>12: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/08/30/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-12-shane-lachance/">Shane Lachance</a></li>
 	<li>11: <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2024/08/31/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-11-jayden-grubbe/">Jayden Grubbe</a></li>
 	<li>10: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/09/01/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-10-matvei-petrov/">Matvei Petrov</a></li>
 	<li>9: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/09/04/edmonton-oilers-propsect-countdown-9-eemil-vinni/">Eemil Vinni</a></li>
 	<li>8: <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2024/09/06/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-8-maxim-beryozkin/">Maxim Beryozkin</a></li>
 	<li>7: <a href="https://publish.oilersnation.com/2024/09/07/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-7-olivier-rodrigue/">Olivier Rodrigue</a></li>
 	<li>6: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-6-max-wanner">Max Wanner</a></li>
 	<li>5: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/09/12/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-5-beau-akey/">Beau Akey</a></li>
 	<li>4: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/news/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-4-raphael-lavoie">Raphael Lavoie</a></li>
 	<li>3: <a href="https://oilersnation.com/2024/09/20/edmonton-oilers-prospect-countdown-3-roby-jarventie/">Roby Jarventie</a></li>
</ul>
<h2><strong>SPONSORED BY bet365</strong></h2>
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