Without Ryan O’Reilly, the St. Louis Blues don’t win a Stanley Cup. Fitting for a captain.
A statement as clear as day and as full as the hearts of Blues fans everywhere right now, O’Reilly was that missing piece to the puzzle. Craig Berube’s placement as head coach got the fire brewing, and Jordan Binnington’s take-over brand of play aided the comeback in the 2018-19 season, but it was O’Reilly’s presence and performance that I think moved the needle considerably.
Think about back to that time when the Blues had zero depth at the center position, or as I like to say, “the Jori Lehtera proposition.