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The Nashville Predators are in the midst of a disastrous season. After a high-spending offseason with new general manager Barry Trotz, they are 16 points out of a playoff spot heading into Monday's action. The trade deadline is an opportunity to recoup some assets ahead of another important offseason. The Predators will not trade veteran center Ryan O'Reilly unless they get a specific return, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun and Chris Johnston.
“The Predators are listening on center Ryan O’Reilly but need to get a promising young player back in return in order to be compelled to pull the trigger on a reliable veteran with term. Trotz is more than happy to keep him. It sounds like nothing has advanced beyond tire-kicking on the former Conn Smythe Trophy winner as a result.”
O'Reilly joined the Predators ahead of the 2023-24 season on a five-year, $4.5 million contract. With three years left and a salary cap boom incoming, competing teams could pay to get him. But Trotz will look for a high-end prospect who is NHL-ready.
The Predators could use an infusion of youth in either their forward or defensive core. Which competitive teams have the players to make an O'Reilly deal work?
Best fits for Predators' veteran Ryan O'Reilly
The most obvious fit for Ryan O'Reilly is the Minnesota Wild because of their injuries and need at center. But their salary cap situation has them in a “dollar in, dollar out” mentality ahead of the deadline. Marco Rossi is the type of player Trotz is looking for, but the risk of trading in the division is not worth it for either side.
That leads to other Cup competitive teams who could call the Predators, including the Vegas Golden Knights. They are known to make a big deadline swing but Pavel Dorofeyev is too valuable for them to trade. If Alexander Holtz or Kaeden Korczak, or both, are enough to get the deal done, O'Reilly could be a Golden Knight.
The Predators have two extra first-round picks in the 2025 draft, which is why they are not prioritizing picks in an O'Reilly trade. After an expensive offseason, they need to surround Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei with young talent.
The Canucks have an interesting deadline ahead and could use O'Reilly's veteran presence. Trotz was with the Islanders when they drafted Aatu Raty, who is now in Vancouver. Could that be the piece that gets the deal done?
