Nikita Zadorov

Ryan O'Reilly has a big role in Buffalo, and he's embracing it

Published Jan. 4, 2016 9:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

In an open area of the Verizon Center, a slew of Buffalo Sabres players are stretching and warming up just outside of their locker room. They are preparing to take on the Washington Capitals, one of the top teams in the NHL.

One player not with the group is Ryan O'Reilly. He' around the corner, in a narrow hallway all by himself.

O'Reilly is crouched, rapidly moving his hands all around in a stickhandling motion. He has two small balls in each hand, rotating them around his palms as quickly as he darts his hands. His eyes remain concentrated, locked into his imagination, uninterrupted by the various hockey arena members that walk right by him. His hands move back and forth, twisting and turning as he dekes the imaginary guys in front of him. He doesn't take any notice of the security guard shooting him weird looks. He only remains focused in his vision.

It's just one of the few quirky things O'Reilly does, but it's also one of the things that makes him the hockey player that he is today.

The 24-year-old center hasn't played half a season for the Sabres, but they have to be happy with their investment. Through 39 games, O'Reilly has 15 goals and 18 assists, leading the Sabres in goals and points. But O'Reilly has also brought so much more to the organization than on-ice production. He's provided Buffalo with an immeasurable amount of leadership and a voice of reason within the locker room.

Buffalo, of course, acquired O'Reilly in a blockbuster deal this offseason that sent he and Jamie McGinn from the Colorado Avalanche to the Buffalo in exchange for Nikita Zadorov, Mikhail Grigorenko, J.T. Compher and the 31st-overall pick. And before O'Reilly even suited up for a single game, Buffalo signed him to a seven-year, $52.5 million deal that kicks in next season.

"Obviously it was a great contract offer," O'Reilly said with a chuckle. "I really couldn't say no to that when it was done.

O'Reilly didn't have to sign that contract right away. He had the option of playing this season on the last year of his current deal, testing the waters of Buffalo along the way. And if he didn't like his first year in Buffalo, he could have entered free agency, where he would have had his pick from a large handful of teams. But he was confident in signing the long-term extension because Buffalo offered him opportunities he was never afforded with the Avalanche. The Sabres offered O'Reilly a specific role, a sense of meaning and stability.

"Getting out of Colorado and kind of wanting a bigger role, being one of the go-to guys," O'Reilly said of his desires with a new team. "I think being (in Buffalo), talking to them, that was their offer to me. That's the role they were looking for. So for me to obviously commit long term made it so much easier to not have to worry about the contract stuff. You know, just focus on playing hockey and winning games. It's much easier, and that transition has been great."

In the tail end of a rebuild, the Sabres needed guys like O'Reilly. Despite being only 24, he's one of the most experienced players on the Sabres, with six prior seasons under his belt. O'Reilly, who is listed as an alternate captain, takes a certain amount of responsibility in helping out his teammates. And those teammates include several young players, guys like Jake McCabe, Sam Reinhart and Jack Eichel. All three play critical roles in the Sabres, but all are right in the middle of their rookie seasons. O'Reilly plays a provable role in helping each of the young players out, but, according to him, it's a relatively simple job.

"Our young guys are all very talented, and they're all hardworking," O'Reilly said. "So, I think having that staple and work ethic (makes) it easy. We just go on the ice and constantly challenge each other and push each other."

One player O'Reilly has really had an effect on is Reinhart. The two have become each other's primary line mates, and they are developing a strong sense of chemistry. O'Reilly has scored four of his five goals at even strength 5-v-5 with Reinhart on the ice, and Reinhart has scored three of his six even strength 5-v-5 goals with O'Reilly on the ice (according to Hockey Analysis). That relationship spawned because the two complement, and compliment, each other so well. The two have a great amount of respect for one another, and Reinhart certainly credits O'Reilly with a certain degree of his initial success in his rookie year.

"I mean, right when he came in, and I was trying to secure a spot on the team, I just tried to pick up as much as I could from him," Reinhart said of O'Reilly. "There's so much you can learn just by watching him and how he conducts himself on a daily basis. He's probably the easiest guy to play with, because he's so smart and he's always in the right spot."

"Gosh, he's just so easy to play with," O'Reilly said of Reinhart. "He's just so intelligent out there and he really thinks the game so (well). Anytime there's a turnover, or anytime there is some sort of play out there, he finds the right area to be in. And as a centerman, you want that, and it makes my job a lot easier. He works hard, too. He works hard at his game and he's competitive. Those are his staples. His hockey sense takes over. It's easy to find chemistry with him."

That instant chemistry has worked well for O'Reilly and Buffalo. O'Reilly is on pace to not only pass his 15-goal mark he set last year, but he's on pace to pass his career high of 28 goals set in the 2013-14 season. And while he may not pass his career high of 38 assists set just last season, if he continues his overall play, he should pass his career high of 64 points.

All of his offensive production likely won't convert Buffalo into a playoff contender this season. The Sabres have comfortably placed themselves within the lottery pick conversation once again this season. But patience is a virtue in Buffalo. Several crucial players are still in the early stages of their career. O'Reilly hasn't reached his prime yet. Evander Kane is also only 24. Eichel, McCabe and Reinhart have many standout years ahead of them. Zemgus Girgensons is only 21. So is Rasmus Ristolainen. Even the team's future franchise goaltender, Robin Lehner, who has been out since the season opener with an ankle injury, is only 24. And that doesn't even include the slew of prospects the Sabres have in waiting, or even that high-end 2016 NHL draft prospect the Sabres will nab later this year.

But what they do have right now is a voice, a future leader, someone who is still learning everyday, but is willing to help others along the way. They have someone who is vocal, and someone who commands attention.

"When he's saying something, everyone is definitely listening," Reinhart said. "He can definitely change the mentality in a hurry, no matter what part of the game it is."

That's a good thing to have on a team. And it's even better when you consider the fact that O'Reilly has seven more seasons in Buffalo ahead of him. And even though he's in the midst of his seventh season, he knows there's always something new to soak in.

"It's still a learning process," O'Reilly said of his newfound role in Buffalo. "And there's a lot of learning to become more of a leader and do things that way. But I'm very lucky that I'm here and I'm apart of this."