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Welcome to another edition of the Hockeybuzz hotstove.
With Ryan O'Reilly's name regularly coming up as a guy who could be dealt, the hotstove will look at which team is the best match for a potential deal. This will factor in how O'Reilly would fit, and how Team X can help address Colorado's defense problem in the process.
Todd Cordell: Winnipeg Jets
I think the Jets make a ton of sense. With Dustin Byfuglien moving back to defense on a permanent basis, Winnipeg now has a plethora of established top-4 defensemen, and they could use some help up front.
While their forward core is solid, the team is always one injury away (Mathieu Perrault, for example) from having Chris Thorburn in their top-9. Acquiring a guy like O'Reilly would help prevent that from happening, and his two-way ability, and versatility could fit in very well with the Jets and their system.
As for what the Jets could/would give up, I have to think Byfuglien and Trouba are untouchable. I think they'd rather move Zach Bogosian than Tobias Enstrom, but I think they'd move Enstrom if they had to.
Colorado wants a legitimate top-4 option on defense and they want a guy with term. Both Bogosian and Enstrom are signed through 2017-18 so they meet both of Colorado's requirements.
Whether anything comes to fruition or not remains to be seen, but I think Winnipeg would be a great fit.
Ryan Wilson: Buffalo Sabres
They have tons of young players who have lower cap hits. They have a player in Tyler Myers that they can easily replace with Rasmus Ristolainen, Nikita Zadorov, and Mark Pysyk.
Tyler Myers seems like the kind of player the Avs would look for.
The Sabres can afford to overspend a little bit in O'Reilly's contract extension.
O'Reilly can play center or wing so there is versatility if the Sabres land McEichel and use Sam Reinhart next year.
Buffalo could really be a playoff team as early as next season if they want to and O'Reilly could be a big part of that.
A top six of Ryan O'Reilly, McEichel, Reinhart, Moulson, Ennis, and Armia/Grigorenko isn't too shabby.
Tim Chiasson: Winnipeg Jets
The Jets have a surplus of D and can offer Zach Bogosian. The age difference between the two players is only 7 months, so both teams get a need for their respective clubs without altering the age of their roster.
It's good for right now and it will still be good five years from now.
The Avs have to put aside the "in-division trade" nonsense and get the best player they can for a player they don't want to keep. Bogosian is a young, top four D on a cap friendly deal for several years to come. He fits the bill of what they reportedly want.
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