The AHL veteran provided strong leadership for Iowa last season, scoring 15 goals and 64 points in 75 games, but O'Reilly's played in only 32 NHL games over the last six seasons, including just one in 2017-18, and he seems highly unlikely to suddenly carve out a spot for himself with the Wild at the age of 31. His experience and hockey IQ have value to an organization in essentially player-coach role, but even if injuries hit the club's roster hard, O'Reilly will only get promoted in an emergency.
O'Reilly only produced one goal with a minus-6 rating in 11 games at hockey's highest level last season with Buffalo, but managed nine goals and 33 assists over a 47-game span with AHL Rochester. He'll likely add depth in the AHL for the Wild.
O'Reilly was signed to a two-year, one-way contract by the Sabres this summer, possibly as a favor to younger brother Ryan, who was acquired by the team in a blockbuster deal on draft day. The elder O'Reilly hasn’t appeared in the NHL since the 2011-12 season, and has scored just 41 points in 113 career NHL games. The 28-year-old center is a proven scorer in the AHL, having led Utica in scoring last year with 61 points in 76 games, but will provide only a depth role on the Sabres. His offensive instincts are good enough to make him a candidate for the second-unit power play if he sticks with Buffalo, but don't expect him to provide much in 5-on-5 situations.
O'Relly's promising 2010-11 season was cut short in January when he sustained a broken fibula during a game against the Blue Jackets. At the time, he was seeing a more prominent role on the team filling in for the injured Matthew Lombardi on the team's top line, and had 18 points (6G, 12A) in 38 games. This season, O'Reilly is more likely to settle into the No. 3 center spot behind Mike Fisher and David Legwand, so be sure to adjust your fantasy expectations accordingly.
Cal has spent the majority of the past five seasons with AHL Milwaukee, but did see 31 games for the Preds in a callup role last year, registering 11 points (2G, 9A). O'Reilly plays more of a checking-line role whenever he's needed, so his fantasy appeal is somewhat limited.
