McKenzie: "Door is open a crack" on possible O'Reilly trade
/Bob McKenzie was on Vancouver’s TSN 1040 on Thursday afternoon.
On if he’s heard anything on Ryan O’Reilly moving:
“No, there hasn’t been anything front-burner on that. That said, I think the Colorado Avalanche are open to the idea of doing it, but I think their expectation is it’s much more likely to be a deal done in the off-season.
“If they get the right offer between now and the deadline, I think they can move him. But I don’t think they’ve gotten anything close that would even make them consider moving O’Reilly between now and a week Monday, and that it’s much more likely to happen at the draft or in the off-season.
“So the door is open a crack, but nobody has kind of kicked it in... It’s not a fire sale. That’s an important piece for them. They have concerns obviously financially long-term, where they’re going with O’Reilly. And they’ve got other holes to fill, specifically on the blueline.
“So as I said, for the right defenseman at the right time, I think they make the move. I don’t think they’ve shut the door on O’Reilly considerations at all between now and the deadline, but I don’t think they’ve been enticed by anything they’ve seen so far, and therefore suspect it carries over to the summer.”
Source: TSN 1040/ Transcript: Nichols on Hockey
Related: Dreger on sign-and-trades, O'Reilly, Petry
Related: Dreger less convinced Avalanche's O'Reilly is in play