Avalanche center O'Reilly on trading block: report

Colorado Avalanche center Ryan O'Reilly is on the trading block, Sportsnet reported Saturday.

Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic is believed to be asking for at least a “significant defenseman” in exchange for O’Reilly, Elliotte Freidman reported.

O’Reilly, 24, signed a two-year, $12 million contract last summer after he had 28 goals and 38 assists to help the Avalanche go from the worst record in the Western Conference in 2012-13 to a first-place finish in the Central Division in 2013-14. Negotiations, however, reportedly were contentious.

Colorado missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season. The Avalanche allowed 2.72 goals per game, 22nd in the NHL.

O’Reilly, who the Avalanche picked in the second round (No. 33) of the 2009 NHL Draft, can become an unrestricted free agent July 1, 2016.

Sakic said in April that he wanted to have O’Reilly signed to an extension by the start of next season.

"We like Ryan a lot; he's very valuable, he's one of our core guys," Sakic said. "He doesn't need it, we don't need it, no one needs the distractions of him going through the season (as a pending unrestricted free agent), so we're going to try to get it done."