Sabres didn't have trade in place for O'Reilly at draft, says GM
He might not be generating the kind of attention that another highly sought-after center is, but Sabres pivot Ryan O'Reilly's name has been in the mix regarding a potential deal out of Buffalo over the last couple weeks.
Related: Report: Habs nearly dealt Pacioretty, landed O'Reilly in 3-team blockbuster at draft
Most recently, reports indicated the team had a deal in place during Friday's draft that would have sent O'Reilly to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a first-round pick. However, that deal did not exist, according Buffalo general manager Jason Botterill.
"There are a ton of rumors out there about Ryan and I think a lot of them are very creative," Botterill told Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News.
Botterill was then asked whether there was a deal in place at the draft, to which he responded, "No."
O'Reilly has been drawing interest from a number of clubs recently, including the Canadiens, who have an obvious need at the center position. The 27-year-old enjoyed a solid offensive campaign for the Sabres last season, racking up 24 goals and 37 assists in 81 games.
He has five years remaining on his current contract, which carries an annual average value of $7.5 million.
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