O’Reilly raising his game — and his draft stock

Another Junior B success story, Knights forward Sam O’Reilly has emerged as an offensive threat in his first full season in a Knights uniform. He’s playing this week in the CHL’s Top Prospects game.

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

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Sam O’Reilly is the latest prospect to take advantage of the London Knights’ Junior B pipeline.

Like Easton Cowan, Oliver Bonk and Logan Mailloux before him, O’Reilly spent his 16-year-old season playing in the GOJHL and then made the smooth transition to a productive OHLer one year later. 

“Playing with the Knights is pretty hard as a young guy, but getting that chance in Junior B, I played a lot of minutes and got every opportunity down there,” O’Reilly told Gameday London. “It really prepared me for this year.”

It certainly paid off for Cowan, Bonk, and Mailloux, who all ended up being selected in the first round of the NHL draft after just one full season with the Knights. O’Reilly's draft stock has been rising, and it’s more than likely he’ll hear his name called at some point at the draft this spring.

Mailloux and O’Reilly lived together last season, and O’Reilly says the Montreal Canadiens’ first rounder was instrumental in helping him through the process. So, too, were Bonk and Cowan.

“Those guys helped me out a lot last year, getting to see how they did it and approached it,” he said. “Them being able to show me the ropes of how it goes, and to be patient, work hard, and have fun while you’re at it.”

Knights Associate GM Rob Simpson sees O’Reilly on the same trajectory as those three.

“He’s shown over a long period of time that he can be a very good player in this league, even though he’s only 17,” Simpson told Gameday London. “It’s something we did last year with Cowan and Bonk, they showed us they were able to play a bigger role at a young age, and we feel like Sam has that ability this year.”

O’Reilly scored 63 points in 35 games with the London Nationals last season, and he has 42 in 43 games with the Knights this year. He leads all OHL rookies in both goals and points.

The forward says he tries to keep things simple, making the most of the opportunities when he’s out on the ice. His ability to make plays in crowded areas has also been beneficial.

“A big thing with me,” he says, “is going to the net and getting to the dirty areas. When you do that, the points start to come your way.”

O’Reilly has played a variety of roles in his first OHL season. He’s been on the penalty kill, played up and down the lineup, and even had some looks on the powerplay. Of his 42 points to date, 33 have come at even strength.

(Photo: Matt Hiscox Photography).

He says his focus is just doing what he can to help the team, regardless of where he is slotted into the lineup.

“It’s just about sticking with the system, trusting the process and showing the coaching staff that I can play in different roles and all situations,” O’Reilly said. “I’m just finding ways to help the team win and doing what I can to stay in the lineup.”

Consistency has been the key for O’Reilly — especially during the team’s recent surge up the standings. He’s picked up at least a point in 15 of the last 16 games, putting up 24 points over that stretch. That will more than likely be enough for him to earn the OHL’s Rookie of the Month distinction for January. His strong play throughout the year also helped him earn a roster spot at this week’s CHL Top Prospects Game.

“I was lucky to get off to a good start, and it was really cool to get invited,” he said. “It will be a fun experience for sure.”

Simpson wasn’t surprised to see O’Reilly among that group of 40 players invited. He believes the forward has earned his spot among the CHL’s best prospects.

“We’re extremely excited for him to make that game,” Simpson said, “and get that chance ahead of the draft.”

O’Reilly suits up for Team White during Wednesday’s Top Prospects game in Moncton, New Brunswick. And he’ll see a familiar face on the opposing bench, as his Knights teammate, Sam Dickinson, will captain Team Red.