Formerly serving as a defenseman, Sam O’Reilly has since stepped up as one of the top forwards for Vaughan. O’Reilly plays like every power forward would, hard and strong. O’Reilly is a strong offensive player, who packs blazing speed and the ability to score with a heavy shot, a remnant from his defense days. O’Reilly utilizes his great speed effectively, making him a dangerous forechecker and backchecker. O’Reilly also shows off strong playmaking and hands, which are helped by his great on-ice vision, helping to set up his teammates. O’Reilly is an active member on the team's power play and penalty kill, but spends his time more like a defender on the penalty kill, being the third man back. Defensively, O’Reilly lays his body on the line to block a shot, and is excellent at getting into the passing lanes with both his body and his stick work. O'Reilly is a player who battles hard in the corners and tends to win a lot of his battles thanks to his large frame. With O’Reilly being in his first season as a forward, he is working hard on his positioning, which will help him on his journey towards the OHL. O’Reilly will also benefit from working further on his elite speed, as well as his strength, where he could become an effective power forward for his OHL club, possibly of a similar style to his favorite player, Nazem Kadri. At the 2022 OHL draft, expect O’Reilly to go in the high-mid rounds, where he could serve as a speedy addition that can be deployed in various scenarios, thanks to his two way game. It is possible that O’Reilly could even be deployed as a defenseman in a pinch, making his versatility a strength for the draft.