Holy smokes. Boom goes the dynamite. On Friday night, Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas swung for the fences by acquiring forwards (and pending free agents) Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari from the St. Louis Blues.

More players were involved. Mikhail Abramov and Adam Gaudette are headed to St. Louis, along with Toronto’s first-round draft pick in 2023, Ottawa’s third-round pick in 2023, and Toronto’s second-round pick in 2024.

There’s also an element of salary retention. St. Louis is keeping 50 percent of O’Reilly’s $7.5 million contract. And in exchange for Toronto’s fourth-round pick in 2025, the Minnesota Wild will retain an additional 25 percent of his deal and send forward prospect Josh Pillar to the Maple Leafs.

That means Toronto will only be on the hook for $1.875 million against the salary cap with O’Reilly. Noel Acciari adds another $1.25 million. That’s a grand total of $3.125 million in cap space that Toronto now has to fit under the NHL’s $82.5 million upper limit. The Maple Leafs will make it work thanks to Jake Muzzin’s injury.

It will only be possible to offer a final grade this trade when the Maple Leafs’ season ends. How far did they go? Did they win the Stanley Cup? Before the dust settles, though, it is fair to grade the deal’s expense and potential.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

Receive:

C Ryan O’Reilly, 32 — $1.875M cap hit (Blues retain 50% and Wild retain 25% of $7.5 million cap hit), 2023 UFA

C, RW Noel Acciari, 31 — $1.25M cap hit, 2023 UFA

RW Josh Pillar, 21 — unsigned, 4th round, #127 overall pick in 2021 NHL Draft (Minnesota Wild)

Hold on a second while I wipe the sweat off my brow. I did not see Toronto as a potential destination for O’Reilly. The Maple Leafs were already loaded with talent up front. And now they add two more quality players, one of whom comes with a Conn Smythe-winning pedigree from the Blues’ 2019 Stanley Cup championship.

I’ve got to hand it to Dubas. This move took a lot of guts. The narrative surrounding the Maple Leafs has long been a need to add on defense. And maybe that still holds true. But Toronto now has arguably the strongest spine in the NHL. Imagine going up against lines centered by Auston Matthews, John Tavares, and O’Reilly, in that order.

And then chuck in a lunch pail player like Acciari for good measure. He can play center or slide over to the right side on the wing. Acciari kills penalties and is willing to put his body on the line for the good of the team. He was one of the Blues’ most consistent players this year.

At 32, O’Reilly is having a down year. He’s only produced 12 goals and seven assists in 40 games, well off his usual pace of just under a point per game. O’Reilly has also missed significant time with a lower body injury. But the former Blues captain looked good after returning to the St. Louis lineup, scoring twice and adding an assist in three games.

Are the Maple Leafs getting the best version of O’Reilly? That’s hard to say. His footspeed has never been great. But O’Reilly has largely been able to produce because of his smarts and competitiveness. He’s a very cerebral player that has a knack for making the big play. O’Reilly began the season as the No. 6 ranked Clutch Player as part of our Daily Faceoff Archetype Ranking series.

But what I really like about this move for the Maple Leafs is the versatility O’Reilly brings. He can kill penalties and take critical faceoffs in the defensive zone. O’Reilly is strong below the goal line. And he’s excellent in tight around the net — something of which Leafs’ power play can certainly make use.

O’Reilly will boost Toronto’s overall work ethic. And no doubt he’ll be excited to wear a blue and white sweater. O’Reilly grew up in Ontario a Leafs fan. But I think it would be wise to temper expectations when it comes to his offensive production. Prospective linemates Pierre Engvall and Calle Jarnkrok are capable NHL scorers, but on the Maple Leafs, they play a supporting role. O’Reilly will occupy that same airspace. I think his greatest value will likely come on special teams and by playing responsible, two-way hockey at even strength.

When it comes to Acciari, the Leafs are getting a depth player capable of slotting in at center or wing. He’s scored 10 goals this season and tacked on eight assists in 54 games. That’s slightly above his career average. In 361 regular season NHL games, Acciari has 95 points. But he’s been a bright spot this year in an otherwise dull St. Louis lineup, and he brings postseason experience. Acciari was a member of the 2019 Boston Bruins team that eventually lost to the Blues in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals.

With center David Kampf being a favorite of Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe, I’d be surprised if Acciari started out down the middle. But even if he ends up playing right wing, don’t be surprised if Acciari occasionally draws into the faceoff circle. He’s right-handed. Kampf is left-handed. If they pair up on the fourth line, that versatility is a bonus for Toronto.

The Leafs also acquired the rights to Josh Pillar from the Wild. The 21-year-old winger has 12 points in 13 games with the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades.

Are the Maple Leafs a stronger team after the trade? Absolutely. I don’t think there’s any way to debate it. But did Dubas give up too much?

Maybe. Toronto moved a boatload for a couple of rental players (O’Reilly, Acciari) and an unsigned prospect (Pillar). First, second, third, and fourth-round picks spread out over two seasons, plus a prospect in Mikhail Abramov, was a steep price to pay. And that’s not even including Adam Gaudette, who at this point might simply be an AHL player despite having a strong season with the Toronto Marlies.

Let’s also not forget how important salary retention was to this deal. St. Louis unquestionably sweetened the pot by keeping 50 percent of O’Reilly’s salary. And Toronto needed that to make the deal work. But I do think the price was high. And the trade isn’t going to look good if the Leafs can’t get past the first round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.