The Colorado Avalanche have matched the offer sheet for Ryan O'Reilly. (Getty Images)
The Colorado Avalanche have matched the offer sheet for Ryan O'Reilly. (Getty Images)

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Well, that didn't take long.

Just hours after the Calgary Flames signed restricted free-agent center Ryan O'Reilly to an offer sheet, the Colorado Avalanche announced on Thursday evening they have matched that offer.

That means O'Reilly will soon be back in the lineup for the team, and the contract saga that has dragged on for months can come to an end.

"I can tell you given the timeframe that we moved on this I think it's pretty clear what our objective was," said Avalanche general manager Greg Sherman when asked if there was any chance that the team would not match the offer.

The contract will pay O'Reilly $10 million over two years, including more than $6 million during the 2013-14 season. Had the Avalanche not matched, they would have received Calgary's first-and third-round picks.

It's a smart move for Colorado to match as O'Reilly has way more value than the two draft picks. He's only 22  and has already had a 50-point season in the NHL and is a top defensive forward who has proven he is capable of playing against other team's best players (and outplaying them).

Because O'Reilly was signed to an offer sheet and the Avalanche matched it, they cannot trade him for a year as per the CBA.

It was a worthwhile attempt by the Flames, as they needed a top young center and O'Reilly was sitting there for the taking. It didn't work out, but the move was sound and one that more teams should take advantage of.

The Flames issued a statement on Thursday evening.

"We believe Ryan O’Reilly is a franchise player," said the statement. "While we attempted to acquire him via trade, we felt the asking price was too steep and would negatively impact our future. As such, we decided to tender an offer sheer and were very pleased to have the player accept our offer. We attempted to structure the offer so as to enhance our chances of getting the player. We attempted to improve our hockey team and will continue to do so going forward."

When asked about the Flames decision to sign the offer sheet, especially on the same day the two teams were playing, Sherman seemed mildly annoyed.

"They're right within the CBA, if that's the way they want to do their business that's their right," said Sherman.

"The fact we received the offer from them on the day of the game, if that's the way they want to do business that's their prerogative."

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