BLOG: O'Reilly impressing during preseason with his two-way game

EDMONTON, AB – Centre Sam O’Reilly arrived at Oilers Training Camp a freshly drafted first-round pick keen on building relationships with his new NHL club and taking as many lessons as possible back to the London Knights for his Draft+1 season in the OHL in ’24-25.

“It's a good experience, and what I'm here for is that experience and to be out there with those guys,” O’Reilly said pre-game on Saturday from Rogers Place. “So I'm just kind of taking it day by day, working hard and learning from these guys out there and trying to play my game.”

But for a young player participating in his first NHL camp, the 18-year-old's been given more than he could've ever hoped for this preseason, but every chance he's been earned is the result of playing his strong two-way game that enticed Oilers management to acquire the last pick in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft and select their guy.

"I think just being reliable," O'Reilly said. "I think it's a big thing is to build trust with the coaches and the staff here. Obviously it's my first Camp, so that's what I'm coming here to do is build trust with them and I think that starts with a good defensive mindset and coming in playing a 200-foot game.

"It's reliable, it's trustworthy and that's what they want here, so I'm just going to keep doing that."

The 18-year-old remains on as oe of 24 players left on the Oilers Training Camp roster with only three pre-season games remaining on the exhibition schedule, and it’s fair to say that he’s left a strong impression and exceeded the expectations of both himself andOilers management and coaching staff.

Operating through the middle as a steady and defensively sound centre, O’Reilly continues to earn chances and will receive his next opportunity to audition for the fourth-line centre role on Saturday night at Rogers Place when he starts on a line with NHL players Vasily Podkolzin and Corey Perry against the Kraken.

• PROJECTED LINEUP: Oilers vs. Kraken

“Obviously, it's amazing,” O’Reilly said. “Two great players and everybody out here is amazing. It’s good to play with anybody, but especially those two, It's pretty special. The last couple of weeks, I’ve kept working, kept learning from the coaches and tried to put it into my game and just stick to the systems.

“I’m just trying to build more experience and continue day by day and keep working.”

Selected 32^nd overall by the Oilers at the 2024 NHL Draft, O’Reilly has built his game in the right direction as the competition has gotten stronger since taking part in the Young Stars Classic in Penticton, BC earlier this month as part of Oilers Rookie Camp.

While Head Coach Kris Knoblauch might’ve seen a more reserved game from O’Reilly at the annual rookie showcase in the Okanagan, the bench boss said he hasn’t looked out of place across three standout pre-season performances and that the future is bright for the 18-year-old in an Oilers uniform.

“I think through Camp he's just continued to get better and better,” Knoblauch said. “I saw him in Penticton and I thought he was just okay. Didn't really stand out. As the level gets higher, guys usually fade, especially those younger players, but he hasn’t faded. He's just continued to grow and show why we thought so highly of him to draft him in the first round. We're very happy with how he's played.”

O’Reilly couldn’t have started pre-season on a stronger note, scoring 3:23 into Edmonton’s 3-2 overtime win over Winnipeg back on Sept. 22 and rolling that performance into Calgary the following night during one of the club’s split-squad losses to the Flames.

"It felt good for sure," he said of his first goal during preseason. "Obviously it takes a little bressure off going out there for the first time. It's a little nerve -racking, but I try to push that away and just stick to playing my game."

Two nights later versus a near-full NHL lineup from the Jets, O’Reilly held his own against some of Winnipeg’s top scorers, drawing the assignment against Mark Scheifele and playing a team-high 17:46 among Oilers forwards. Despite finishing this a -2 plus/minus in Wednesday’s one-sided 6-1 defeat, Coach Knoblauch said the Knights’ forward didn’t look overwhelmed by the occasion and flashed some of the steady play that’s helped him progress to this stage of Oilers Training Camp.

“I think he’s just smart,” Knoblauch said. “He's able to make plays, isn't flashy and he's not going to beat guys one-on-one, but he’s a good puck distributor, can set up a play and defensively, he’s really responsible and he sees the ice really well and is able to make plays."

“He's made a good impression so far in Camp.”