Peter DeBoer: Ryan O'Reilly born to be a Leaf

The Toronto Maple Leafs signaled that they were all-in this weekend, acquiring now-former St. Louis Blues captain Ryan O'Reilly as well as forward Noel Acciari; in exchange, the Leafs sent prospect Mikhail Abramov, forward Adam Gaudette, the Leafs' 2023 first-round pick, the Ottawa Senators' 2023 third-round pick and Toronto's 2024 second-round pick to the Blues in return. 

The move made by Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas may be seen by some as a last-ditch effort to save his job, which almost certainly will be no more if they once again inexplicably fail to advance past the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs later this spring. Critics of the move have been quick to point out that O'Reilly is on pace for the second worst statistical output of his career, behind that of only his rookie campaign of 2009-10. Meanwhile, there have been those that have pointed out that O'Reilly's valuable postseason and championship winning experience could be exactly what Toronto needs in order to put them over the top. 

Regardless of how the move pans out, there is one NHL figure who believes that O'Reilly and the Maple Leafs are the perfect for one another in current Dallas Stars bench boss Peter DeBoer. 

Take a look at what he had to say about the deal: 

"I believe some kids grow up in Ontario and are meant to play for the Leafs," DeBoer stated. "I think Ryan is one of those guys."

"When you are around his family and see the impact they have on everyday life, whether it's raising money mentoring youth or bringing awareness to mental health in small town Ontario, the entire province should be cheering this guy on."

DeBoer, who is a friend of the O'Reilly family, thinks the move is a match made in heaven for the two sides. How exactly will it pay off?