Here's what the Leafs are getting in the secondary piece from the O'Reilly trade, Noel Acciari
Last night, the Toronto Maple Leafs made a massive trade with the Blues, acquiring the 2019 Conn Smythe winner Ryan O'Reilly and veteran forward Noel Acciari. While Leafs Nation is excited with the acquisition of O'Reilly (rightfully so), it is easy to forget about the other piece acquired in Acciari. But anyone familiar with the 31-year-old Acciari knows he is also an important pick-up for the Leafs.
Acciari broke into the NHL in the 2015-16 season with the Bruins. He spent four years in Boston and became a staple in the team's bottom six. In the summer of 2019, he signed a three year contract with the Panthers as a UFA. After playing the duration of that contract in Florida, he signed a one year deal worth $1.25 million this off-season with St. Louis. In 54 games this season, Acciari has produced 18 points (10 goals & 8 assists). Very respectable numbers for a bottom six forward, however, his point production is not the primary reason the Leafs acquired him.
Much like O'Reilly, Acciari plays playoff-style hockey. He plays with a lot of grit and finishes his checks. He currently sits tenth in the league in registered hits, with 168, despite only averaging 14 minutes and 25 seconds of ice time per game. That is good for an average of 3.11 hits per game.
Additionally, he has 55 registered blocked shots on the season. This is likely because he was one of St. Louis' top penalty killing forwards. Acciari led all Blues forwards in shorthanded ice time played. He is not afraid to sacrifice the body and plays with a ton of heart, as can be seen in the video below.
Finally, Acciari is not afraid to drop his gloves when the situation presents itself. He does not go looking for fights, but he is certainly a willing and capable combatant when the gloves come off. He typically fights about once per season. Some of his work with the gloves off can be seen in the videos below.
The knock on Toronto for the past few years has been they are too easy to play against. Acciari and O'Reilly will certainly help change that reputation.
| POLL | ||
FEVRIER 18 | 356 ANSWERS Here's what the Leafs are getting in the secondary piece from the O'Reilly trade, Noel Acciari Do you want Accairi to re-sign in Toronto? | ||
| Yes | 220 | 61.8 % |
| No | 9 | 2.5 % |
| Too early to say | 127 | 35.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
