Minnesota Wild: Early season Iowa Wild form says give Cal O’Reilly a call

The Minnesota Wild are lucky enough to be in a position in the league’s top five right now. That should give them enough breathing room to call-up Cal O’Reilly from the Iowa Wild for another NHL shot.

Unfortunately for Cal O’Reilly, he’s not the successful NHL player in his family. Instead, his brother Ryan O’Reilly steals all the spotlight. Playing currently for the Minnesota Wild’s AHL affiliate, the Iowa Wild, Cal has had a very solid start to the year.

With 14 points in 12 games, he’s currently a more than point-per-game player for the Iowa Wild; typically a good sign for your NHL team. However, he’s the wrong side of thirty, having turned 32 just before the start of the season.

Do you promote a wily veteran or do you take a risk and promote a young upstart?

What Cal O’Reilly could bring is plenty of journeyman experience; he has rarely scored at anything less than point-per-game pace in the AHL and is overdue another proper look in the NHL, given his last proper stint was two years ago with a weak Buffalo Sabres outfit.

If you wanted to give Eric Staal a little rest, I reckon Cal O’Reilly is the man you’d be wise to call up. Now, I’m not saying he’s a first-line or even second-line center, but he has the level-headeness and experience that I think he could slot in comfortably wherever you put him.

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Why not make the call before the next game in St. Louis? Let him line up against his brother?

That seems unlikely and would be one of those ‘classy’ moves that doesn’t necessarily help the Minnesota Wild out in the best way possible.

Nor does it really help the Iowa Wild, given they’d be losing their lead scorer and a veteran locker-room presence that can surely teach the young kids in Iowa some lessons.

Can we expect Cal O’Reilly at some point to be jumping on a flight over from the Iowa Wild to suit up in Minnesota Wild colours? Maybe.

Should he be the first in line for a call? Absolutely.

At point-per-game pace in the AHL, he’s proved himself time and again, even venturing over to the KHL at one point, where he proved he could cut it in a higher league. He just needs the opportunity; an injury or such, to arise.

I think it’s high time to give Cal O’Reilly another shot in the NHL, because he’s epitomises earning a shot. It’s the perfect way to make him even more of a role model upon an eventual return to the Iowa Wild ranks.