Oilers sign first-round draft pick Sam O'Reilly to three-year contract
Sam O’Reilly has signed his first NHL contract, the Edmonton Oilers announced this afternoon.
Edmonton’s first-round pick (32nd overall) from the 2024 NHL Draft, O’Reilly has inked a three-year entry-level contract.
Congrats, Sam! ✔️ #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/vcyOBLZ8sV
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) October 21, 2024
The 18-year-old Toronto native returned to junior this season, where he has five points (2-3-5) in seven games with the London Knights. O’Reilly had 56 points (20-36-56) in 68 OHL games last season.
The Oilers were clearly high on O’Reilly, completing a draft-day trade to get him. They must have liked what they saw from the 6-foot-1 forward in four preseason games as well, which included a goal against the Winnipeg Jets.
2024 first-round pick Sam O'Reilly is quickly showing #Oilers fans what he can do. https://t.co/vMUBt6WNXw pic.twitter.com/kA408oEDXE
— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) September 22, 2024
O’Reilly went deep into Oilers training camp and was among one of the last players to get sent back down to junior before the new season started. While it was always a long shot that he would make the NHL squad after just having been drafted, he did a lot to impress both the Oiler brass and the fanbase.
For an Oilers organization that is lacking a lot of depth in the prospect ranks, signing O’Reilly to an entry-level deal is sure to help shore up their depth at the centre position. The hope is that Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl occupy the top two lines for the next decade or so, but having a player like O’Reilly potentially step into the bottom six in a few years could help this team remain competitive for years to come.
Fans will be keeping a close eye on how he shows in the OHL this season.