NASHVILLE – It was just a little over seven months ago that Ryan O’Reilly was simply a rumor. The chatter for months was that the Buffalo Sabres wanted to pry him from Colorado but it was nothing more than that. Then the deal happened on NHL Draft night in Florida, mere minutes before the Sabres officially landed Jack Eichel.
Then things really started happening for the 24-year-old as O’Reilly signed a seven-year, $52.5-million contract extension that will make him the highest-paid player in Sabres history when it kicks in next season.
He quickly became a leader on the ice, the team’s leading scorer in both goals and points, and in the dressing room.